Senshi no seishin
by Zheraaa
Summary: She had vowed never to fall for that man for as long as she lives. But fate wasn't very fond of her. Wherever she goes, everything and everyone ends up...destroyed. Was she a curse?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey minna-san! This is my new story, senshi no seishin-meaning 'warrior spirit' in Japanese. I still haven't finished Only you yet but I will update it as well and I WILL NOT leave it unfinished. Happy? I hope you guys will like this story as well **** like I said, I spent most of my time writing fanfics for the past five months and I have written seven chapters of this ;) **

**Enjoy!**

~Senshi no seishin~

Chapter-1

Arrogance and cruelty boundless, he who slits throats whenever he wants to satisfy himself, famous all over the world for his ruthlessness, king Jellal sat in his personal bed chambers, slowly sipping from an extremely luxurious glass of the most expensive wine one could afford.

"Congratulations, dear cousin. I never thought that you would stick to that General and wed the same one." He spoke to the man in front of him.

"I adore her with all my heart, milord. She may be called _the demon_, but she has the kindest of hearts and I fell for it" a spiky blonde, who sat on the opposite of him replied.

"When is the wedding, then?" the king asked, caring less about the man's bride-to-be as he ran his finger on the glass in circles.

"Next week your highness, next week." The man replied leaning forward in his chair.

"Well Laxus, you don't have to ask for my permission in these matters as you too have the royal blood flowing in your veins." The young monarch replied to the unasked question that clearly gave away in the blonde's eyes- at least to him it was visible.

"You of all people know very well that I hold no interest in the throne and I ask for your permission to do every single thing. It has become a habit now." Laxus smirked at his cousin. "Plus, I wouldn't have met my one true love if I had become king."

"Cheh, you and that true love of yours..." Jellal spoke up placing a hand on his cheek where the royal crest was tattooed from his forehead down to his cheek. "...I'll never understand."

"That's because you haven't experienced it yet, your highness." Laxus argued, a light frown forming on his stern face.

"I don't need your so called true love, commander. I'm doing pretty fine without it." Jellal replied, his tone static.

Laxus sighed. There was no point in arguing with that matter, he would, undoubtedly lose at some point. No one has ever beaten the king in an argument, but if he were to experience what he had, he would definitely lose in an instant. Laxus too, never believed that love was something he would ever need and that was a waste of time and utterly insignificant, as he had to grow without parents. His father, King Ivan and his mother were killed while he was still a baby. He was taken care of by Jellal's mother, queen Hara. However, when Mira, his bride-to-be taught him how wrong he was, he began to see a new world. A world filled with rainbows and smiles. It made him grow strong; it made him what he is now. He had become the worlds' greatest commander in battle as he had never once lost since he joined Fiore's militia. That love Mira gave him made him strong and turned his murky self completely into that of luminosity. If only his highness knew how much power that insignificant feeling holds, he wouldn't be the audacious bastard he is now. If only his highness even understood that worthless emotion, he would be a much better king who'll be known as wise and not as callous.

"I'm looking forward to it." The King's voice brought him back to reality. "Make it as grand as possible. I'm sure grandfather would like it that way too, invite all the high class people across the country."

"Yes, your majesty." Laxus bowed on his knee and left the chamber.

The commanding officer stepped out of the king's chamber with a light smile adorning his face. He clearly knew that at this time of the night, she'd be back from the night time sparring session with her squad. She was one hell of a knight of Fiore. She was a stunning beauty with brains. Ah, speak of the devil, he just ran into her when he turned round the corner. She looked breathtaking despite the small beads of sweat that ran from her forehead down to her neck. In his view, she looked sexy.

"I was just thinking about you, my dear." Laxus whispered bringing her close into a hug in one swift motion.

"Think of me and I shall appear for I am the greatest sorceress the world has ever seen." Mira said teasingly and Laxus rolled a strand of white to the length of his finger.

"They no longer live now." He chuckled. "Mira, I told the king about our wedding." Laxus pulled apart.

"What did he say?" she looked at him for a second before making their way to the wing where their rooms were.

"He said to make it grand as possible and that I should invite all the higher class people in the country."

"Despite his cold attitude, he still cares for his family, doesn't he?"

"Yes. He is just hiding himself in that facade to prevent him from feeling any emotion. He has become a complete mess."

Not long after the chief commanding officer, Laxus Dreyer left, a knock was hard on the large mahogany doors that lead to the king's chambers.

"Your majesty, her highness princess Wendy seeks your presence." A maid's voice was heard behind the closed doors.

_What could make little sister wake up at this hour? _ He thought to himself as he granted permission to enter.

"What is it, little sister?" he asked gesturing to the seat in front of him.

"I... I can't sleep. I'm having those nightmares again." The little blue-haired girl spoke softly, lowering her gaze. The king may be her brother, but she had seen the devil inside of him several times, enough to tremble in fear at his mere presence. Nevertheless, she had always believed that the human side of him will once again awaken and return to how he used to be before their parents passed away.

Jellal sighed at her scared face and put on a facade, hiding his uncaring expression.

"Did you consult the physician?" he asked gently, taking her little hands in his.

"No... I... I wanted to see you" her voice was nearly a whisper. His heart softened genuinely by those words.

"What can I do for you little sister?" he asked stroking her soft cheek. Wendy looked shaken as her eyes met his.

"No...Nothing, your highness"

Jellal clenched his jaws tightly. That was not the answer he expected. He too didn't know why he gets angry on such trivial matters. His hands on hers stiffened immediately letting go of her delicate hands before he could hurt them and rose to his feet.

"You can tell the physician. It's late, go back now" he tried his best to hide the burning rage within him, but failed miserably. Wendy wasn't stupid enough not to know the situation she was in. She knew her brother too well to know when he doesn't want someone in his company. And before she could say anything she found herself running towards the door.

As soon as Wendy left the room, Jellal fell back in his bead not even bothering to take his cape and boots off. Staring at the huge unlit chandelier, he let his mind wander off to the one source that always cooled him off; his and Wendy's birth mother.

"Milady, Ultear-sama seeks your presence." A voice spoke from behind the closed mahogany doors.

"Come in" a voice demanded from the inside. It was strong and stern but beauty and grace was clearly heard in it.

The minute permission was granted, the doors opened and walked in, one of the most beautiful women in the country. She had the perfect curves in the right parts of her body and her hair was left loose on her half bare back. The woman's dark orbs shined brightly as she walked towards the seat where a lady was seated.

"Hello countess, Ultear." the same voice greeted as she turned to face her guest. It was the most flawless, most spotless skin one could ever see. Her skin looks so pale and soft to the touch and it glowed in the lights that were lit in the room. Her scarlet hair fell loosely on her back to her upper hips amiably. Those brown eyes she owned looked adamant but kindness and warmth did not keep itself hidden in them. Her luscious lips moved elegantly as she spoke. "I haven't seen you in a while. What brings you here at this ungodly hour?"

"I was coming from the palace and stopped by to see how you were doing, Erza." Ultear replied as she took a seat beside the redheaded lady. "I was granted permission by the Duke to stay for the night."

"What business did you have there?" Erza asked, a frown forming on her unblemished face.

"Just a proposal for a better..." Ultear was cut off by a knock on the door.

"We are here Erza-sama" a voice called after the knock.

"Come in" Erza ordered almost impatiently.

"I'm sorry my lady, we have let you down." A woman with brownish-yellow hair spoke, her face covered in a piece of lace cloth and she was clad in a full black outfit that was tight and clung onto her body like a second skin.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked, slightly confused.

"We couldn't find any survivors all around the place and the places close by it" another woman with raven hair spoke, clothed uniformly as the brownish-yellow haired woman.

"Well, we can't expect any to be there, either" Erza said softly.

"Please forgive us" the women said in unison as they lowered their heads.

"What are you talking about? I'm grateful that you came back unharmed. Please go and rest until I call you again. You're dismissed, Minerva, Milliana!" Erza smiled gently.

"What's this? You're still searching for survivors of some incident that happened four years ago? Are you in your right mind, Erza?" Ultear asked her voice filled with anxiety.

"Yes I am, Ultear. Though it happened long ago, there might still be someone out there who survived. I need to keep searching. That king bastard could not have killed a whole village, could he?" Erza clenched her fists.

"Now that was not very lady-like..." Ultear was once again cut off when the large doors burst open.

"Natsu, please knock before you come into a lady's room" Ultear spoke sternly somewhat irritated for being interrupted for the second time that night.

"Please don't mind me, dear countess. I only came to see my sister" a bright pink-haired male spoke as he closed the doors behind him.

"What is it, Natsu?" Erza asked his younger brother as she pointed to a seat in front of her.

"I should be the one asking you that." he countered as he sat down."You look paler than you used to be. It's almost white."

"Now that he mentioned it, you do look very pale, Erza" Ultear agreed.

"I don't know. I've been getting this feeling that something is going to change abruptly. And that something would change our lives and I don't think I'm ready for it." Erza knew there was no way out so she let her thoughts out to them.

"Erza... no matter what happens we'll always be your family. We may not be blood related but you're the sister I never had, it would be forever that way." Natsu said taking Erza's slender hands.

"I'll always remain as your loyal friend, Erza, through thick and fat" Ultear said taking Erza's free hand.

"And I'm grateful for that" Erza smiled looking at the two people in front of her. "But what's thick and fat?" she asked turning to Ultear who smiled sheepishly.

She has the best foster family and reliable friends. After the incident that happened four years ago when she lost her family, Duke Igneel had taken her as his ward and looked after her like his own flesh and blood. And Natsu treated her like she was his real sister; nothing had made her happier and she could ask for no more.

It's been almost a week since the announcement of King Makarov's grandson, Laxus' wedding with General Mira-Jane. The palace attendants, guards and everyone else's been preparing for the Prince's wedding. They were given orders to make the ceremony and party that was supposed to be held later onwards, to be as grand as possible. The whole palace was highlighted in flowers and other decorating materials. Lights and curtains and carpets were being changed according to the wedding theme color.

"Isn't a party amazing? I always love the parties where people work together and meet people who haven't met in a long time." A spiky blonde with a battle scar on his eyebrow spoke, as he stood in the hallway, outright amused.

"It sure is, bother Sting" a woman with the same blonde replied.

"Princess Lucy, Prince Sting!" a new voice called. The said people turned to the source of the voice.

"Wendy!" they exclaimed as the little princess came running to them.

"Hello to our lovely princess!" Prince sting grinned wide as he lifted Wendy from the ground.

"How are you now?" Lucy asked giving the girls' cheek a light pinch.

"I'm alright now. The nightmares are almost gone, thanks to nurse Grandma's medicine" Wendy replied as Sting put her down.

"That's good to hear." Lucy ruffled Wendy's hair.

"Look! It's another carriage! That's the second one today" Wendy exclaimed as she pointed to a carriage that was parked in the front yard.

"That's Earl Gray-sama and his sister Countess Ultear-sama" Lucy said as a white-haired man climbed out of the carriage with a dark-haired beauty alongside.

"...And Gray-sama's wife, lady Juvia." Sting added as a pretty blue haired lady stepped out.

"Earl Gray and countess Ultear-sama was very kind to me when we met earlier." Wendy smiled widely bowing on her hips.

"There's only two days until cousin's wedding. We better get prepared." Lucy smiled as the mentioned people gave them a bow.

"Prince Sting! Princess Lucy and Princess Wendy!" a messenger came running and panted hard. "His highness, the King asks for your presence." The three royals looked at each other and walked towards the king's quarters without a word.

"Come in" Jellal ordered as a knock was heard on his door.

"We are here, your majesty." Lucy spoke as the three royals bowed. Jellal waved his hands in a very un-kingly manner gesturing them to sit down.

"Because of our cousin's wedding..." the young monarch began. "...there are a lot of higher class people staying at the palace. I asked Earl Fullbuster and his family, Lady Saya and her daughter, Jenny as well as Duke of Magnolia to reside in the palace until the wedding is over as their home is far across the country. You should know by now that Lady Saya and her daughter has arrived also, Earl Fullbuster. The Duke and his son is on their way." He stopped and glanced at his siblings. "My point is, I want you to behave. Half brother and sister or not, I will not tolerate any grievance regarding your behaviour. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your majesty" his siblings said in unison.

"Dismissed"

"He's so cold" Lucy said softly as they walked out of the king's chambers.

"Yes, he has changed so much since mother and father died." Sting added, his tone same as his sister's.

"Let's just eat dinner. Brother will join us soon and he certainly will not like it if our faces are like this." Wendy said, her eyes tearing up.

Sting noticed this and brought her close, taking her little hand as they walked to the dining room. His and Lucy's birth mother was a court lady and was never a true Queen. She died after giving birth to Lucy so he and his sister were taken care of by Queen Hara, King Jellal's and Wendy's birth mother who was a real queen and a dream mother every child imagines. Hara was the only person their father married but when she died, it led the first born of King Shen, their brother to a predicament.

Every meal the royal family takes consists of Laxus, King Jellal, Princess Wendy, Prince Sting, Princess Lucy and their grandfather, the great King Makarov. It was all to his glee, the siblings take a walk together, around the castle after dinner.

"I assume your preparations are going well, dear cousin?" The king spoke, breaking the silence none of them had dared to sever.

"Yes, milord. It is going very well. After all, everything grandfather has his hands on is very imposing and lively." The chief commander smirked at a preceding memory.

"That's right." Jellal chuckled.

"That must be duke of Magnolia, right?" Wendy smiled widely as a carriage stopped in front of the main entrance of the palace, forgetting about her big brother's presence for a millisecond.

"It is." Laxus said as he walked towards the carriage like the rest of the royal family did.

"Did your journey go well, Duke Igneel?" King Jellal asked extending his hand towards the tough-looking man.

"Yes it did, your highness King Jellal." The duke replied shaking the extended hand and gave a nod to the rest of the royal family.

Jellal's eyes then stopped on the figure that climbed out of the carriage, holding duke Igneel's son's hand. She was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen in his entire life. Pale skin without a spot on it. Looked soft to the touch as it was framed by a sky blue dress that was only tight around her hips where a tight rope-like belt was wrapped and flowed all the way down to the ground. Her face was nothing like that of other women. That flawless face was framed by the most exquisite scarlet tresses one could ever see. It looked splendid in a messy up-do as some strands were loose. Half of her face was covered by a beige hand fan that had red roses designed on it held by long and slender fingers. Her eyes showed no emotion whatsoever but the different shades of brown was astounding when framed by thick and long lashes like a woman's should be. And Jellal was dying to see the treasure that was beneath that fan she was holding.

'This is my son, Natsu Dragneel..." The older duke introduced. The pink haired man gave a light bow with his name said. But the king showed no interest."...And this is my ward, Erza Scarlet." He finally introduced the beauty. She stared at him for a while, still holding her fan and bowed as curtly as she could, lowering her gaze while she did so.

_Oh? _ King Jellal smirked. He has just came across the most interesting challenge ever. He could have her right then and there if he wanted to. But, it would be no fun and he respected the duke, who's more powerful than him lest of power. One day, she'd be willing to be his queen and he would wait for that very day as unwearyingly as he could. No matter how much his stained heart yearned to take this beauty to his chambers, he wanted to take the challenge that indistinctly showed in her eyes. He wanted to make her his, no matter how many days, weeks, months or years it take. He will make her his and when he sets his eyes on something, he'd go to the world's end to achieve it.

**How was it? Good? bad? Pleeeeeease read and review ok? Ok? This chapter maybe a bit boring but the upcoming chapters will be good!**

**Love u all! :-***


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all those who followed and favourite(ed) this story!**

**Crimson sana-chan- Arigatou ^.^**

~Senshi no seishin~

Chapter 2 

Erza didn't even dare to come out of her room. She stayed caged up in the room and never allowed herself to see the pathetic face of his highness the king. She sat in her bed hugging her knees, slowly rocking back and forth. It was the day of the wedding and she was supposed to be by the bride's side as Mira was from the same place where she was from, though she did not have a real family there. They used to be such great friends, until one day Mira and her little sister and brother disappeared, without a word. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see her face again after causing her such grief. She had waited where they used to play, everyday, waiting for them to show up. Day after day she had waited, but none of them showed up. Nevertheless, her heart believed that they were somewhere safe and they would come back to play with her. Oh how wrong she was when she came to annihilate their village. It may be nothing but a foster home to her but it was everything to Erza. It was the place where her parents raised her, the place where everyone was together, relying on each other, and the very place where the person she was engaged to marry laid down his life to save hers. Erza's ocean of thoughts broke by a gentle knock on the large doors.

"Come in." she said softly, not moving an inch. It was the bride. Mira's shining silver hair and her kind blue eyes were the things she adored most about her. And Erza wasn't sure if she was the Mira she adored.

"Hello, Lady Erza. It's been a long time since we last saw each other." She spoke in her kind voice as she came closer to the red-haired woman. "I always knew you were destined to be a great woman."

_If you're talking about the night you exterminated my village, then go to hell, MIRA! You're not the person I used to know._ Erza cried in her head.

"Was it when we were only kids? The last time we saw each other?" she spoke again. Erza's eyes grew wide.

"You don't remember?" she asked as she pushed her legs to the side of the bed.

"Remember what?" Mira asked, confused as she sat beside Erza.

"You took everything from me…" Erza trailed off. She turned her head away sensing that her eyes were watering.

"Oh? You like Laxus? You should have told me before. I would never do something you won't like." Mira joked.

"Stop it, Mira! Don't act like you don't know anything. Today is your wedding day so I do not want to ask you anything. Not today." Erza's voice rose and lowered down.

"What are you talking about, Erza?" Mira asked baffled, as she rose to her feet.

"What am I talking about?!..." Erza screamed, rising to her own feet. "…Don't you dare pretend to not know anything, Mira! You left me without a word of goodbye! Do you have any idea how I waited for you and your siblings to show up? Well, I feel like a complete fool for doing so. You were in charge of a whole bunch of soldiers that were ordered to kill each and every one of our village. You killed my parents and everything I loved, Mira! _He _killed Simon! The person I was supposed to marry. _You _helped him." Erza screamed from the top of her lungs.

"Was… Was that the rosemary village?" Mira asked and sank into the bed. "Was it? I did not know. The place had changed so much I couldn't recognize. I was on official duty and was asked to eliminate the whole village because of treachery. I swear Erza, I had no idea. If I did I would have stopped it with my life." Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. "I… we did not abandon you. We were taken away. We were kidnapped and… and I tried to run to get help but they caught me. I, my little brother and sister were tortured… and some soldiers from the royal militia saved us… I'm sorry, Erza. I didn't know." She said through sobs.

"N…No… I'm sorry. I did not bother to learn the truth and screamed at you and on your wedding day, nonetheless." Erza said softly taking Mira's hands.

"Is this not the best wedding present ever?" Mira asked, still sobbing.

"I'm sorry I did not mean to ruin your face."

"No… not that. Me and you, we're re-united. And I could ask for no more." Mira smiled through her sobs. Tears fell on Erza's smooth cheek and pulled her best friend into a tight hug.

"We better get ready. The ceremony begins in the afternoon." Erza said as they pulled away.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you have such grudges against the king because of me. His highness is actually a very nice person." Mira said smiling.

"Nice person, my foot. That bastard of a king." Erza growled.

"You haven't changed a bit." Mira's smile grew wider. "In the end I think you'll end up with your bastard, Erza –Sama." Mira said mockingly.

"Oh please, never in your wildest dreams, queen-to-be." Erza replied with much sarcasm.

"It is not me milady. It is you who'll become the next queen and I'll wait until then to tell you 'see? I said so'." Mira stuck her tongue out as she ran out the door to avoid a flying pillow thrown by a very angry redhead. 

Later that afternoon, Erza stood in front of a full length mirror gazing at her reflection as the maids did their job in fixing her. She had no choice but to attend the wedding even if it means facing the king bastard. Sighing, she smoothed her dress. It was a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline which was in gold color covered in black lace cloth flowing all the way down to the floor. Her slender hands were covered in elbow-length gloves adorned by a gold bracelet on each hand. Her long hair was pulled over her left shoulder with small golden clips decorating it and a small crown-type band on her forehead. To complete her attire, the maids had made her wear a pair of golden heels with a bit of dark eye shadow and light lipstick adding a further glow to her full lips, furthermore, a pair of golden earrings completed her apparel. Sighing once more as the maids opened the door she stepped out with much impatience to avoid any contact with the king. Her father, Duke Igneel will be the only person she would ever talk to; after all, Countess Ultear and her brother Natsu had fooled her into bringing to the palace. And she wasn't about to forgive them. Much to Erza's dismay but delight to the other person she met in contact, Erza bumped right into the man she loathes most as she stepped out.

"Why, milady you should be more careful." Jellal smirked as he felt the softness and smoothness of her skin. He wore a pair of black pants that was tucked in a pair of raven boots and wore a black shirt underneath the white coat-with navy buttons that kept both sides together- he was wearing. To complete his attire, a ceremonial sword was tucked in his belt and a blue cape around his shoulders with the kingdom's crest engraved on it in silver. He looked much handsome than he looked before.

"Well, if it wasn't for you, your highness I would be on the ground smelling the dirt." Erza put on a fake smile as people began to stare at them.

"Please don't flatter me milady." It was the first time he heard her voice. Just like her it was graceful and attractive and strong and… he could go on. "Shall we?" He asked gesturing towards the staircase that leads to the place where the ceremony was supposed to be held, unable to take his eyes off of her uncovered face. 

The hall was magnificent. It was huge and spacious filled with only high-class people from across the whole country. A huge chandelier was placed in the high-ceiling above them with different small lights on here and there. The walls had beautiful drawings carved on them while the floor was made out of shining marble. After the ceremony ended everyone moved to that room. The celebration began as a wedding party but turned into a reunion party as it drew closer towards the end. 

Natsu and countess Ultear stood beside Erza with a glass of expensive wine in their hands. None of them had the guts to talk to her after what they had done.

"Err… Erza-sama, are you still angry?" Ultear asked with much hesitation.

"No… if I had not come I would still be livid with Mira. I would not have known the truth." Erza said with a light smile on her lips as she gazed at the smiling bride clad in white. Her siblings were beside her along with her newly-wedded husband. Ultear and Natsu sighed in relief; they were safe at least for the time being.

"But I'm not ready to forgive you yet." She jerked her head so promptly it made Ultear and Natsu jump up.

"Erza, Natsu. Listen, I have an urgent matter to handle back at home. So, I have to leave first and I just spoke to King Makarov, he agreed to take care of you while you both stay here." Duke Igneel came where his daughter and son stood.

"But father…" Erza protested taking a step closer towards the duke. "…you know how much I hate that bastard. You can't leave me here."

"Language, Erza! Language." Duke Igneel said sternly as he looked around to see if anyone heard those words.

"My apologies." Erza lowered her head for slipping so easily.

"Then, I will be leaving. Natsu, take care of your sister and yourself."

"Understood, father." The pink-haired man bent his head in a light bow.

"You better be prepared for the worst, dear duke." Ultear whispered in Natsu' ear after their father left.

"I heard that, Ultear-sama." Erza narrowed her eyes at the raven-haired woman who giggled.

"Hello, Erza-sama. I haven't seen you in a while." A girl who looked a lot like Mira greeted. "Mira-nee told me everything. We're sorry."

"Don't say that, Lissanna. It's nice to see you again." Erza gave one of her most beautiful smiles to Mira's little sister.

"Hello, countess Ultear-sama. Hello, Duke Natsu-sama." Lissanna greeted the remaining people.

"Natsu…sama?" Natsu whispered to himself and shot a big grin at her. And before Erza and Ultear could stop him, he extended his hands toward the white-haired girl. Erza fought hard against the urge to face-palm so much, her petite figure began to tremble.

"We're the most abnormal ones here, aren't we?" Ultear asked with a smile on her pretty face.

"Ultear-sama, may I have this dance?" Ultear turned at the mention of her name and met with a same pair of eyes as hers.

"Gray! You ruined my expectations of a handsome prince, dear brother." Ultear smirked at how handsome her brother looked.

"Forgive me milady. I too was expecting to ask a much beautiful lady but in the end, I'm with my dearest sister." He mocked her.

"Oh? What happened to your wife?" Erza asked playing with her glass of wine.

"She's dancing with someone whom she hadn't met in a long time." Gray explained still extending his hand to his sister. "Now, may I have this dance?" he asked almost impatiently.

"Sure." Ultear chirped taking Gray's hand.

"You can't just leave me alone… here." Erza mumbled but none of them heard. 

"Now, this is a shame. What is a beautiful lady doing alone in a place like this? May I have this dance, Erza-sama?" Erza turned to see who it was and heaved a sigh of relief inwardly, as she saw Prince Sting.

"I would be honored to dance with you, Prince Sting." Erza replied taking his hand.

"Please call me Sting." He said as they stepped on the dance floor.

"Yes, Prince sting… I mean Sting." Erza chuckled and Sting laughed.

"I've heard that you used to know my sister-in-law." Sting spoke after a while of silence between them. "She was really happy to be re-united with you."

"She was." Erza said simply, a small smile on her face. 

King Jellal scanned the crowd and spotted a certain redhead that he had grown very fond of. She was dancing with his half-brother, sometimes laughing and other times smiling lightly. He took some steps away from the newly-wedded couple to get a better look at her. She looked beautiful. Her smile, it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Never in his life had he been so much surprised by one's beauty. He had seen a lot of beautiful women all over the country, he had met them but none of them were compared to her, beautiful. The only thing they knew was to drool over him and drown in useless fantasies.

"Good evening, King Jellal." Jellal turned to the source of the voice and met with an amazing pair of familiar blue eyes.

"Hello Lady Jenny." He gave a light peck on her hand and the woman blushed hard. _Too easy!_

"I was… wondering if I could stay over tonight… with you I mean, your highness." Jenny asked as they made their way towards the dance floor.

"I am truly sorry, milady." He replied monotonously. Lady Jenny, ever since they were kids had a strong crush on him. She'd mutter some things in the 'love language' which he had no idea what those things mean therefore ended up giving her language, that mentioned name.

"I do not care milord. Just let me stay with you, please." She whispered seductively and inched closer to the monarch.

"Milady…. that would be impossible, for I have chosen my queen." Jellal smirked as a certain red-haired beauty popped into his mind.

"Is it me, your highness?" The blonde's eyes lit up.

"I'm sorry, but it is not you." He said twirling her around and let go off her hand as he made way to somewhere else. 

"Oh my gosh." Erza laughed lightly as she looked towards a pink-haired man.

"What is it, milady?" Sting asked.

"Call me Erza. I'm just thinking about how feeble people are when it comes to confessing." She smiled widely still not taking her eyes off of the man.

"Is Duke Natsu in love with someone?" Sting asked following her gaze.

"Yes, oh yes he is." Erza smirked as they stopped dancing and stood beside a pillar, Sting followed in suit.

"May I ask who?" he asked giving her a boyish smile.

"Your sister.' She replied simply.

"Why, such a coincidence is amazing isn't it?" he looked at his sister who was blushing hard when she noticed Natsu standing beside her. "My sister too has a crush on Duke Natsu, ever since she saw him"

"Oh really?" Erza asked watching the young prince intently. _They're brothers, but how different._

"Yes!" he exclaimed grinning wide. "Lucy is so lucky."

"Why are you so different?" she couldn't stop herself.

"Excuse me?" Sting asked looking back at her, confusion clear in his eyes.

"You and your brother, why are you so different?" she asked leaning against the ashen pillar.

"We're not. Well, we used to be same but it changed. Care to describe my brother from your perspective, lady Erza?" Erza heaved a sigh and began.

"Your brother is… is…" she stopped to find the right word. "Is… irrational and… and a total bastard." She stopped and stared at something afar. "He is not fit to be king, if you ask me." She finished without averting her gaze.

"Language milady, language."Erza jumped up as someone whispered those words in her ears.

"G-good evening, your highness." Sting greeted rather hesitantly. The king usually gives severe punishment to those who defy him as king. He has witnessed it himself. It was then; he got the surprise of his life.

"May I have the liberty of this dance, Lady Erza Scarlet?" the king extended his hand towards Erza who just glared at him. Sting stood, well, dumbfounded.

"My pleasure, your highness." Erza put on a fake smiled as people began to stare at them. His hand was rather warm for someone like him but Erza quickly shook the thought off. 

"I see you hold grudges against me?" he asked as he placed his hands on her half bare back while other taking hers as they moved to the music.

"Oh you have no idea how much, your highness." Erza rolled her eyes. He already heard everything she had said so there was no point in hiding how she really feels now, is there?

"That was not very lady-like." He smirked at her behavior. She was getting more and more interesting as he began to know more about her.

"I hear that a lot, milord." She stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world and looked straight into his emerald orbs which were void of any emotion whatsoever. The man had no heart and she hated him with every fiber of her being. Clenching her jaws she said "So I'm very used to it." She faked a smile so that her clenching jaw would be concealed.

"And I'm assuming you are no royalty but only a lowly peasant who managed to move the steel heart of Duke Igneel." His smirk grew with each word he said. "Hence… Erza, the beloved ward of duke Igneel."

"My lord…" Erza began inching closer to him so that other people nearby won't be able to hear them. "…If we were the only people here, I would have already ripped your heart out."

"Oh? You are threatening me, milady? I am one of the greatest fighters in the whole world. How can a lady like you could possibly beat me?" Jellal asked, amused. Not only she was beautiful but she had guts too.

"You have no idea, your majesty." She said taking a step back to keep some space between them.

"You have already said that." He said sarcastically as he closed the distance between them.

"There's no rule saying that I can't say anything more than once, milord." Erza countered strongly.

"Do you want me to make that as a rule? After all, I _am _the _king_." His lips brushed against her earlobe briefly as he emphasized the last words referring to what she had said earlier to his brother.

"I swear to god, your highness, I want to kill you so badly, it is _killing me_." She gritted her teeth and put on a fake to smile to preclude any suspicions on her behavior to others.

"Try me, Erza-sama. If you win, I'll give you what you want most."

"Bring back the dead." Her grip on his shoulder tightened for the briefest moment but Jellal never failed to notice it.

"Oh I'm so sorry, darling but I am unable to grant you that wish, for it is truly and utterly unfeasible." He replied his face null and void.

"Why not? After all his highness is capable of doing the impossible, is he not?" she asked running her index finger on his face tattoo.

For the first time in his life, Jellal stood there, unable to give her an answer. He wasn't sure of an answer. He couldn't think of an answer. Never in his life had he thought that he had to face this moment. The great king Jellal left speechless, left to dig his mind for an answer. By a woman, nonetheless and it adds to the reasons why she should become his queen.

"It seems that you know me very well, milady." Nevertheless, he wasn't about to give up.

"Oh no, I do not, milord. It is just my conscience." The redhead wasn't about to give up either.

"You really are something, lady Erza." _You really are…_

"I've heard that a lot too, your highness."

"Oh really. Do you, milady, know that you are the first person to beat me in an argument?" he accepted his defeat and bought her real close to him.

"I am honored, milord. I really am. And the day I make his highness bow to my late parents and the people you killed without a reason, I will be able to die without regrets." Every word she spat was entirely coated with dreadful poison enough to make one ordinary person cower in fear. But his highness the king was no ordinary person.

"Aren't your dreams a bit too high, my dear?" he asked rolling a strand of scarlet to the length of his long finger. He was enjoying every moment spent in her company.

"No, it is a dream I would lay down my life to achieve." Confidence welled up within her like a wildfire.

"You sure do have high grudges against me, love." He inhaled the sweet aroma that lingered on her hair.

"Yes." She stepped closer, smirking ever so seductively making the hair on his back rise. "Because you my beloved king…" she paused and brushed her lips against his earlobe briefly and whispered so softly he barely heard her. "…Is a loser." She pretended to wipe something that was stuck on his cape when people began to stare in an unusual way. _The nerve of this woman..._

Jellal looked taken aback much to her satisfaction but confusion took the better of her when the king tilted his head back in laughter.

"Is something wrong, your highness?" Erza asked playfully for she knew that he was not laughing out of happiness or amusement but in pure mockery.

"You have the guts my dear…" he paused and gazed straight into her auburn irises. "…and I like it." 

"Okay, can someone please tell me what is going on?" Ultear asked as Natsu and Gray stopped beside her along with Princess Lucy and lady Juvia.

"About what, dear countess?" Natsu was too happy to be concerned about anything else but the blonde beauty in his arms.

"About her." She pointed to the familiar redhead that was dancing right in front them.

"They're dancing are they not?" Natsu didn't see what was so wrong about Erza dancing with the king despite her strong hatred against him.

"I know, but there is more to it." The countess replied he brows furrowed thoughtfully.

"Now that you mention it, both of them have this weird smirk on their faces, it is almost spooky." Gray spoke scrutinizing the couple's moves.

"She swore to kill me in this very un-lady like manner for the past 24 hours." Ultear exclaimed, her eyes wide. Lucy laughed at her expression.

"Oh dear, please forgive my rude attitude for I do not know proper way of greeting her highness." Ultear gave the young princess a light bow.

"Oh, no! Please don't mind me. I actually am quite enjoying your presence, dear countess." Lucy smiled. "I would prefer Lucy, though."

"You are really nice, are you not, Lucy?" Natsu smiled widely at the blonde.

"I am assuming you have sorted things out with her highness, Lord Natsu?" Gray smirked as he finally got to pay back for something Natsu had done earlier. "As, you are on first name basis with her highness."

"Sort what?" Lucy looked at Natsu, confused but the salmon-haired boy looked away, hiding the blush only from Lucy. Ultear, Gray and Juvia snickered.

"He likes you, Lucy-sama" Juvia laughed rolling her tongue.

Lucy looked away, flushed. Her face was nothing short of Erza's hair and she knew there'd be no way for her to hide it from them.

"What's this? Both of you like each other but never had the guts to tell the other?" Ultear chuckled as she understood the reason for Lucy's mad blush.

"You... you... like me too?" Natsu turned to face the princess.

"I... I... uh... hehe..." she laughed nervously and nodded which made Natsu grin like a maniac. 

It was amazing, really, how people could be so open and out-going with each other despite their status in the country. Lucy couldn't help but the smile at that thought. This was the type of family she'd wanted for so long. She wanted to smile more and laugh really loudly and let the world know that she was the happiest person alive. But with the things going as it was, she doubted that, that day would come around anytime soon. But no matter how much time it takes, she'll always give that day a warm embrace.

**So? How was it?! Please please please please please please please please read and don't forget to review, kay? It helps me a lot when you do that :-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm truly sorry for the late update you guys. I had some serious issues like no Wi-Fi ****L**** I couldn't even go to a friend's house because I wasn't allowed to go out of the house because of a strike :'(Forgive me, ok? Ok? You guys are really really great! Thanks for the support! ILY and Mikasa-chan- good luck on your exams!**

**All of you thank you, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!**

~Senshi no Seishin~

Chapter-3

The wedding went pretty smoothly and all most all the visitors had left except for those whom the king has asked to reside in the palace. He had been unable to wipe the amused smirk off of his face the entire time he'd danced with Duke Igneel's ward and even after that. The red-haired beauty was just too amusing for him to just ignore. First it was her contradiction of his kingship and how high her grudges against him were, second, her sturdy attitude and strong guts. She was simply amazing and he wanted to see what is more to her.

Jellal leaned against a pillar, arms folded across his chest and one leg crossed over the other. He couldn't quite take his eyes off of the redhead who was smiling brightly with his new sister-in-law. How, that smile was genuine and so bright, he wondered if he could ever, be the reason behind it. Probably, never for he only had caused her sorrow and grief. She wouldn't even want a sadistic bastard like him to even look her in the eye. And again, he wondered why he was letting himself drown in her thoughts, why he had been going so easy on her when she clearly needs to be tortured to her bones. She had not only opposed his throne but had dared to challenge him with threats that he believed needs to be executed for. But, he didn't know why he felt so unjust to do something like that to her. He wanted to protect her, not hurt her.

"Is something bothering you, your highness?" he turned his head slightly as a very gleeful blonde spoke up.

"Absolutely nothing, dear cousin." He assured him with somewhat softness visible in his eyes and Laxus wondered what could have happened to him to act that way.

"That is good to hear. Did you enjoy the party, milord?" he asked clasping his hands behind him.

"Very much." Jellal replied slightly irritated at his cousin for asking too many questions though it was only two.

It was almost midnight when they decided to finish the party. The halls were not too quite as the maids and servants were busy cleaning up the place. Jellal was on his way to his chambers in absolute need of rest as he felt really drained though he didn't know why. And just he rounded the corner to the floor where his personal chambers were, he saw a flash of red. Jerking his head up, he smirked as he knew where she was headed. Thanking to whoever had planned her room on his floor, he hastened his pace to reach up to hers.

"Enjoyed the party much, I assume?" he asked clasping his hands behind him as the cape flowed graciously behind him.

"Yes, I did." She smiled sarcastically and added. "…Your highness."

In a swift motion, he pinned her to the wall on his left just beside the door to her room and closed the distance between their faces. Erza, who had unexpected this, gasped and sent daggers flying at him through her steely stare.

"I'm very much interested in your challenge, my lady Scarlet." He whispered, lips brushing on the exposed skin of her neck briefly. "…Looking forward to it" he smirked when she remained unfazed and stepped back.

"Good night, milady." He bowed bending his head only a little and went on his merry way towards his own chambers.

Erza stood rooted to the spot, clenching and unclenching her fists every now and then. Who did he think he was? The King? Yes, but he do _not_ have that much authority over her. He does _not _get to control her. She is someone who comes from an independent area in his kingdom. He has no right to tell her, what to and when to do something after all those horrible things done to her.

_Jellal fucking Fernandez._ She clutched her jaws doors and slammed the door behind her, waking whoever guards have fallen asleep.

Erza woke up to the caress of the tiny rays of sunlight on her face through the little slit of the window drapes. She stretched and sat up with a frown on her flawless face as she took her surroundings in. she was still in the king bastard's bloody palace. Sighing, she ran a hand through her silky tresses and got up to face another day with _Jellal annoying Fernandez_, the mighty ruthless king bastard.

Breakfast was served directly to her room and Erza had the best meal after she'd come to the palace. They'll be staying for another two days according to Natsu and Ultear. Smoothing the hem of her knee length silk dress, Erza stepped out to see what her closest people were up to.

She passed a hall and turned around a corner with much haste when she heard swords clashing with each other. It was the music to her ears. Smiling brightly, she followed the sound and in to a large room where different types of training materials and swords and other types of weapons were. It was the armory. She looked around in awe, oblivious to the pairs of eyes looking at her. Now that she thinks about it, she was in the farthest corner of the left wing of the palace. She turned to face the others when someone cleared his throat and noticed the king bastard dueling with Laxus who was somewhat out of breath though the king was unfazed with one arm behind him and the other on the hilt of the sword. She frowned when everyone began to stare at her very unusually. Ultear was bending her head to a side as if telling her something. Natsu was rolling his eyeballs up and down. Gray and Juvia were doing the same but she couldn't quite understand what they were trying to tell her. She folded her arms across her chest as if she owned the place and Natsu and Gray face-palmed.

"Are you, milady not going to greet his highness?" Wendy spoke mustering much courage to spill the words out.

_Oh! So this was what that was about. Who wants to greet that sadist? _Erza eyed the king and smirked.

"No." she replied simply all the while not removing her gaze from the king who was staring at her with an amused smirk.

"What?!" all the occupants, including Lucy, Sting and Mira gasped. Laxus just stood beside the king, mouth somewhat agape.

"You heard me right." She spoke again, stepping closer to the king. "I was wondering if his highness would like to spar with me?" she bowed lightly and heard the others snort along with the king himself and she gritted her teeth.

"How can a tiny lady like you could simply beat his highness, the strongest fighter of them all?" Laxus laughed.

"Hey, hey, hey." Gray whispered under his breath.

"He's going to regret it." Natsu whispered so that no one would hear him but Princess Lucy and Wendy and prince Sting heard him who was standing pretty close to them.

"Why?" the royal trio whispered turning their head to face the rosette.

"You'll see." Ultear answered them.

"I accept, milady." Jellal smirked. It was time to pay her back. "But do not come crying after you get beat up, because I will not be going easy on you though you're a small girl."

"I am not a small girl!" she hissed. "Can I get a change of clothes?" she asked no one in particular.

"Come this way, Erza." Mira gestured towards a closed door and Erza followed her.

"Are you sure about this? The king is very strong, you know. Not even Laxus was able to beat him." Mira spoke her blue orbs filled with worry.

"Yes! I need to pay that bastard back for insulting me." Erza said sternly. After a while, she stepped out wearing a pair of leggings tucked into a pair of shin-high, high-heeled boots. She wore a long sleeved black top that had a turtle neck with her midriff clearly exposed. Her long hair was tied into a high bun while her bangs were pulled back by a sliver band.

Jellal could not take his eyes off of her curvaceous body. She wore too exposing clothing for him to concentrate on their fight.

"No one has ever beat me in a fight, except one." He spoke shaking off the perverted thoughts away. "That is your father, Duke Igneel." He turned to Natsu.

"Err… uhhmm…" Natsu narrowed his eyes when the king turned to face Erza. "There was only one person who was able to beat my father." Natsu said though the king did not give any attention to him.

"Who?" the royal trio and Mira asked, surprised. According to them, Duke Igneel was the strongest fighter the world has ever experienced.

"Her." Natsu, Ultear, Gray and Juvia pointed to the Scarlet haired woman in front them.

"What?!" they gasped and Laxus turned to face them with a surprised look on his face. It seems like the day was full of surprises.

Erza grabbed the sword Laxus provided her with and tested it by swirling it in her hands a few times. It was made out of the lightest and quality of the highest, steel. It was light and easy to use. Erza smirked and gazed at the king with much sarcasm in her auburn eyes. He was going to so get it for insulting her.

_Small kid, huh?_ She lunged at him with much speed, that of something others could have thought was inhumane but to Jellal it was just a simple run. He was about to dodge when Erza faked a turn to his left and hit his right arm when he moved to his right.

_Amazing!_ He flinched a little with the force of her hit but it was not able keep him from moving his arm. From her actions and the way she moved around, he knew she was experienced and she wasn't someone to be taken lightly. And hence, when she tried the same faking trick, he saw right through and grasped her arm tightly and blocked her sword that had threatened to slit his neck with his own sword.

"Uh-uh! Not going to work for a second time, my lady." He whispered in her ear and gritting her teeth, she bent forward a bit and kicked his head with her leg rose high up from behind her.

"Nice move Lady Erza got there." Lucy praised with glistening eyes.

"Her body is very flexible, is it not?" Wendy said amazed at how Erza was landing blow after blow not even giving the king a chance to strike back. Her moves were quick and reflexive and her body bends like elastic.

"Oh you have no idea, little princess." Ultear sighed at a previous memory.

"Huh?" the young girl looked at the countess in confusion as she did not understand the hidden meanings behind them.

"We used to spar with each other. But she doesn't like the way we fight, so she trained us personally." Gray folded his arms across his chest.

"It was hell." Natsu, Ultear and Gray felt a shiver run down their spine. The royal trio formed a little 'o' and nodded their head wondering how scary that woman could be that she made two men and a great fighter herself, countess Ultear shiver in fear while Juvia giggled.

"Erza used to be quite the hothead when we were little, too." Mira smiled as the lovely past of their childhood flooded through her mind.

But once more, the king blocked her attacks and unfortunately, both lost their footing and fell on the ground, his highness on top of her. Her hands pinned on top of her head with his both hands while one of her legs was in between his legs while the other around him. Erza struggled under his firm grasp but to no avail.

"I was wondering…." He began their faces only mere inches apart due to their position. "…If I had won, my lady?"

"Of course not!" she hissed her own orbs boring into his which was framed by thick and long lashes which was much handsome for someone like him. _I just did not think that he was handsome. Damn it!_ Erza struggled under his grasp and with one strong move of her hands she was free and rolled him off of her body.

She grabbed her fallen sword and attacked him which the king blocked right away with his own and attacked her back. Erza swirled around blocking his attack and tried to kick his gut but failed miserably which lead her to her victory move. She bent forward on her hips to avoid his kick and attacked in one swift motion that sent his arm behind him and lose his hold on the sword for her hold on his wrist was yet too strong and her own sword on his neck. With one leg wrapped around his hips and the other stretched behind her, she held him in a lock and firmly in position.

"You my beloved king…" she whispered hovering over his lips while ignoring the coughs and clearing throats in the background. "…lose yet again." She hissed and gritted her teeth before shoving him away.

The occupants stood still even when the fight was over and Laxus stood, on second thoughts about announcing the winner out loud.

"Winner; Lady Erza Scarlet." Jellal smirked and gave a little bow to the redhead in front of him. Erza turned on her heels and walked to her siblings.

"Remind me to tell the king that he's pretty heavy despite his lean growth." Erza growled as the image of the king on top of her popped into her head and they nodded.

"Oh, your highness?" she turned before leaving and Jellal raised a brow, gesturing her to go on. "I was the one and only person to beat father, yet." She smiled, and with a bow she left the room, not bothering to change her clothes and not bothering to look back at the king who had an amused smirk on his face.

Jellal lay flat on his bed. He had just taken a long shower after the duel with Erza Scarlet. He could not stop thinking about her, even for a single millisecond. She had so much power on him within those few days he'd seen her. She'd beat him twice. And he wanted to pay her back. He had the power to do so. He could do it like he did to everyone else. But it didn't seem fair to do so. She held a higher position in his heart, a position that had been void for ages. She was waking those little insignificant feelings hidden deep within him. She was doing something wrong. He doesn't need those things. He had become what he is today without those feelings. Sentiments had made him weak. Growing himself cold and mean had earned all those respect he had wanted from everyone. He'd gained the trust of every single soul in his kingdom. They would not dare to betray him, for it would cost them their heads as the consequences of doing so. But she was trying to destroy something he'd achieved without all those things that all those dimwitted people believed to be the pillar of everything. And he'd proved them wrong. He'd become famous all around the world without those and none would dare to stand against the great king Jellal Fernandez. Nevertheless, his cold and steel barrier he'd built was falling apart. It was breaking little by little so slowly but very surely. Only by a red haired maiden who'd managed to capture his attention out of all those women out there. Only one person was crumbling his cold heart, a _woman_ at that.

It was almost impossible to get her out of his head. The way she'd hovered over him ever so seductively and the smoothness of her back was enough to drive him over the edge. She was too stunning, too amusing and too wonderful for him to resist and before he knew it he wondered how it would be to taste those plump rosy lips of hers. Rubbing his temple, Jellal sighed. One day, sooner or later she'll be the death of him. Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander off to the red he had grown much fond of.

"Umm… brother? Would you like to have lunch?" he opened his eyes when his little sister spoke hesitantly. Normally, he'd get angry at Wendy for coming in without his permission or for interrupting his nap. But he smiled and replied.

"Why not, little sister?" he got up and wrapped his long soft cape around him and slid his feet into a pair of black boots, tucking his pants in, in the process. The little girl's face lit up at this and hummed all the way to the royal dining room and Jellal ignored his sister, for his mind was little occupied by the redhead.

Everyone stood up and bowed when the great king Makarov came in. He looked much tough and strong for someone of his age. He smiled at his grandkids that were quite eager to eat. He gestured them do so and they began without waiting any longer.

Though all his siblings have started enjoying their meals, Jellal couldn't bring himself to eat. Instead he stared at the food, drowned in thoughts of a certain redhead.

"…YOUR HIGHNESS!?" he jumped slightly when all his siblings cried.

"Yes?" he asked, regaining his composure.

"Do you not like your food, my lord?" Lucy asked concerned as why their brother was sitting so silently only with a smile graced on his handsome lips.

"No, I'm, pleased with it very much."

"What were you thinking about, Jellal?" King Makarov asked from where he sat. "I know something is bothering you. Come on, you can tell your grandfather."

"I…I…" Jellal began with somewhat hesitation. "I got beaten, twice." He smiled genuinely.

"Twice?" his siblings echoed.

"Yes, first it was at the ball, it was an argument. Then today morning, something you all have witnessed." He couldn't wipe of his smile all the while he talked about her. "Twice, by Lady Erza Scarlet."

_Hmm? I've never seen him smile since Shen died. That girl… I must have a word with Duke Igneel. _

"I see, but Jellal?" The said man turned to his grandfather. "I have prepared to announce your suitors to come over to the palace in a week's time."

"But grandfather, you never informed me anything of this sort. A suitor? I don't think that'd do." The young king replied his face back to its cold and monotonous appearance.

"Why not? It is time you choose your queen….

"NO! I will not accept, my lord." Jellal cut him off.

"My decision is final!" the great king said sternly. _You'll thank me for this later, my son._

Jellal got up and left the room anger boiling in his blood vessels. How could his grandfather do something like this? He doesn't want to marry someone who'd be all over him 24/7. He growled at the thought. Someone was going to die today. He needed to vent his anger on something. Most of the time, it was his sparring partner. He couldn't help that bloodlust of killing people. It had become his habit and he was tired of it. He wanted someone to stop him when he does reckless and stupid things. He wanted to give up being cold and heartless.

_No! Why would I want to stop something that had granted me so much power? Come on, Jellal. You're being too soft hearted. _With a malicious grin on his face, the king made his way towards the training room in the palace.

There was no one in the room and it angered him. He pushed all the racks of weapons to the ground. They're all going to pay for it. One by one, all the racks and weapons were scattered on the ground making loud noises throughout the hall and the room.

Erza followed the sound and stopped dead in her tracks when she stopped on the doorway of the training room. The king was on his knees, with little bruises on his hands and face. All the weapons and racks were on the ground. She slowly stepped closer to him, whom she noticed was panting really hard. Just she was about an arm's distance from him, he jerked his head towards her. He was so angry; Erza hesitated for a minute before questioning.

"Are you alright, milord?"

"Do I look like I am alright?" he panted and glared at her and Erza shrugged.

"Well, then, thank you for your hospitality while we were here. I'm leaving this evening though the others are staying." She turned on her heel but stopped abruptly when she was held back. She turned slowly to him and to her wrist that he held so firmly and back to his face.

"Your highness..."

"Don't…." he whispered completely defeated. "Don't go… please…"

"Give me one good damn reason why I shouldn't?!" she shoved his hand away and walked away from him.

She wasn't even completely out of the room when she heard something being throw away, or rather some things being thrown away. She turned abruptly and for a moment she forgot to breathe.

"Have you gone mad?!" she hollered towards the king. He had just tossed sharp edged swords all across the floor making his palms bleed violently.

"Are you out of your mind?!" she grabbed his hands and scanned the wound. Shaking her head, she tore a piece of cloth from the hem of her dress and dressed the wound cussing under her breath.

All the while, Jellal gazed at her intently, his eyes softening with every passing minute. She was beautiful even when she was angry. Cussing all the while dressing his wound on his both palms, Jellal found himself smiling lightly. _What have you done to me, Erza? _Her name itself felt warm in his mind.

"Don't you dare move from here until I get a nurse!" she warned and turned on heel.

"So you _do_ care for me." He stated categorically. As soon as the words were out, Erza came back and…

"AAH!" Jellal winced when she applied a strong force on his wounds.

"I _do not._" she narrowed her eyes and stormed off without glancing behind her shoulder, even once.

Later that night, Erza was inside her room with the company of Mira, Natsu and the Fullbuster family. They were quite enjoying each other's presence when a knock was heard on the door and Erza granted permission to enter.

"My lady Erza and Lord Natsu, I have a letter for you from Duke Dragneel." A maid informed as she handed Natsu the letter and excused herself after giving a light bow.

"What is it?" Erza asked peering over Natsu's shoulder.

"Father says we have to wait longer and he's coming back tomorrow; King Makarov's orders it seems." The rosette shrugged and tossed the note into his pocket.

"Why would the king order him to come here?" Erza wondered loudly, sitting back on her bed.

"I do not know. Must be something between them." Natsu said carelessly.

"I do not want to…" she stopped when she heard something whisper from her right. "What are you whispering, Mira?" she turned to the white haired beauty on her right.

"What? I did not say anything, yet alone whisper." She denied hands in front of her in a defensive manner. Erza shrugged thinking that it was only her imagination.

"You were saying, Erza?" Juvia asked, leaning forward in the couch.

"I was saying that I do not want to stay here any longer." She gritted her teeth as a certain king came to mind.

"Why? I see that you and the king are very close, Erza. He is handsome and he is a king, a very powerful one at that. Grab the opportunity while you can, dear. These types of opportunities will not come to you once you start ageing." Ultear said with much sarcasm and leaned back on the bed pushing her weight on her arms while her legs were stretched in front of her. Erza growled.

"Do not even start talking about that good for nothing buffoon!"

"He is the king!" Mira gasped.

"Mira, I know that you like him very much but I am not agreeing with you on this matter." Erza replied sternly.

"But why do I have a feeling that you're going to end up with him?" Gray asked rubbing his chin as if in deep thoughts, others laughed.

"As much as I hate to agree with this guy, I think so too, Sis." Natsu said pointing a finger at Gray.

"That is just what I said." Mira purred and patted Erza on the back.

"I can't believe you guys! What if all your curses come true?" Erza asked horrified at the thought of her marrying the heartless blue-haired king.

"This is not a curse, love." Ultear too gave a pat on Erza's hair.

"We are just guessing the future, dear." Juvia chimed in and Erza groaned.

After all of them left her room, Erza changed her clothes and slipped under her sheets to get some sleep. Just as her eyes closed shut, she heard the whispering sound again. She snapped her eyes open and gazed at her dimly-lit room. There was nothing out of the ordinary; everything was in place and no one was inside her room. Then what was that sound? With a sigh she closed her eyes again convincing herself that it was just her imagination.

The next day when her father came back to the palace and informed her of his reason for coming, she felt the world spinning around her. What was fate trying to do to her? Kill her?

Natsu, her father, King Makarov and herself was in the King's office when the dreadful and most horrible statement was passed to her. Had she even once thought that her worst nightmares will ever come true? Had she ever in her wildest dreams had thought that her friend's curse would become true? This was beyond all the possibilities she'd thought. How could she let her mind slip the most simple and most difficult possibility as she continued to hate the blue-haired king?

"Erza, I have agreed to let you be one of King Jellal's suitors. What do you say about it?" her father had asked her when she and Natsu stepped in.

She saw everything crumble down to pieces right in front of her eyes. Coming to the palace was a really, really bad idea from the very start. And it wasn't like she knew she was coming to the palace. They were visiting a _close friend, _according to Natsu and Ultear.

_They're so going to get it!_

**oops! what's wrong with Erza? Liked much? Was it good enough? Was it? Was it? Please please please read and review ok? You guys are the best! :-D**


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys are sooooo wonderful! A very huge thanks to all of you guys who read followed and favorite(ed). Thank you! I'm touched :P hehe, really, you guys just brighten up my day! I'm sorry if I kept you waiting too long.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter-4

"Erza, what do you say?" Duke Igneel asked once more, when Erza failed to give him an answer.

"Well father…" she began rather sturdily. "…I strongly deny!" she balled her fingers into fists.

"Erza…" the older duke sighed. He knew it won't be easy because of those high grudges she hold against the boy. "Let the past go. You're capable of changing him." he spoke with pride. Pride, because the greatest king all of Fiore have seen had told him the power his foster daughter had on the young king who was blinded with power and the lust for it.

"How are you so sure about this, father?" Natsu spoke in her stead. He knew how much she'd gone through because of the king. He knew how much she'd cried when she first came. And he will not let her experience the same again. He will not tolerate a single tear falling from her eyes. _He_ does not deserve her.

"Because, Lady Erza, you brought back a smile to his face, which we haven't seen after his parent's death. I thought I'd never see that side of him again." King Makarov answered looking straight at them.

"But my lord, I cannot marry someone who killed everyone I loved." Erza protested.

"Would you like those useless massacres to be stopped or to continue? If you become a suitor, he'd definitely pick you. And you can turn him into the good old Jellal. He'll listen to you, just for the sake to keep you by his side." the king tried to reason with her.

"So my lord, you're saying that if I… if I marry him, I will be able to make him stop all those useless killings?" Erza asked as she understood what the king said.

"Yes, my dear. I've seen it in his eyes as he spoke of you yesterday. He'd do anything to protect you."

"Then, I accept." Erza replied with all the courage she could muster. She'd sacrifice her life for others if it avoids what they have to go through. If it prevents them from going through what she had gone through.

"Erza…" Natsu couldn't believe what she'd said. He'd thought that she'd refuse that proposal for as long as she lives. But Natsu knew if it means to stop others going through what she'd experienced, she'd stop it if she can. And Jellal being the source of it, Erza had the power to stop all those meaningless and foolish things he does to satisfy himself.

"I know you're doing it against your heart. But, I can assure that you will not regret this decision." King Makarov stood up and gave a light pat on her shoulder. "I suggest you wait until the day our young king chooses his bride. All of you are more than free to stay over. I'd appreciate it if you do." He smiled at the father and son who gave a bow while the king left.

"Erza, you do not have to do it if you don't want to." Duke Igneel spoke as he stepped closer to Erza.

"It is alright, father. I want to help others. And the only way is to stop that monster." Erza replied coldly and the duke could only sigh.

* * *

_A week later_

"Brother! Your suitors are all here!" a very happy Wendy exclaimed as women after women filled the throne room. The little girl turned to her bored brother who blew a lock of hair away from his face. She giggled as she remembered about the surprise.

_"Wendy dear, promise us you'll keep this as a secret from your brother?" Mira asked the little girl kindly as she caught her eavesdropping while Erza and others talked in her room._

_"Not to tell what, Mira-san? I couldn't really make out what they said." Wendy gave a little pout._

_"You didn't?" Mira felt stupid. "Then never mind, dear." She turned to go._

_"No wait! Would you tell me? What's going to happen to brother on the day he chooses his bride?" Wendy blurted out._

_"Wendy?" Mira turned with an innocent smile on her face. "Did you lie just now?"_

_"Uh… err…." Mira knew the answer when the girl failed to give one._

_"Fine, your brother does not know that Lady Erza is one of the suitors. But he will, on the day he chooses his bride and that would be a surprise. Alright? So do not spill a word of this to him. Not even a hint, for you know that your brother is quiet cunning! Understood?" _

"They are quite beautiful, are they not?" She asked hiding a snicker that threatened to escape its way out.

Jellal groaned. Those women were so annoying; looking at him with those eyes filled with lust and lust only, nothing more and nothing less. He knew he was handsome alright? But they were just too easy to get and that was what made him get bored about women, until a certain redhead showed up. He felt a smile creeping its way up as the red haired beauty popped into his mind. He followed the two guards to his throne where Lucy, Sting and Wendy along with their grandfather Makarov, who stood beside the throne. He did not give a damn about the women present there as he stepped on the dais and looked at them with a bored look. In the distance, he could see Earl Gray with his wife and Countess Ultear along with Lord Natsu but there was no sign of red. He hadn't seen her since he had wounded his palms on purpose so that she'll wait even for a moment. And she did, giving him time to memorize her to all the little details before she left.

_Guess she really left, huh?_

As the host began to announce the names of the women present there, they began to race to the dais to give him a hug or a kiss but he hadn't let them. He'd give a bow or a peck to the hand and they'd flush deep red. Like the color of Erza's hair. As her name once again popped into his head he let his mind wander off, not caring a thing about what was happening in there but only doing his job of bowing and planting kisses.

"Next; daughter of Duke Igneel, Lady Erza Scarlet." The host called out her name and all heads turned to look at her, all heads except one messy blue head.

Erza walked towards the king, bored to her bones. She wore an elegant black dress that had its neckline up to her neck, the fabric done in chiffon and ended right above her cleavage which then turned to a sweetheart neckline. The dress clung onto her curves perfectly bringing out them even more. The dress flared from her hips up to the floor and it was backless with only two straps that were diagonally on her shoulder blades. Her hair was done in a French twist while the bangs combed neatly to a side. To complete her apparel she wore a pair of silver heels to go with the dress and a pair of round silver earrings.

She was quite surprised when the king didn't look up at her when her name was called. It was weird, was he thinking so great of himself that she wasn't even worthy of sending a single gaze? Then again, she regretted making the decision. Hell, she regretted it the moment she agreed to it.

She walked up to him and closed their distance while they bowed.

"I do not know what trick you managed to pull on my father but I swear that I will never ever forgive you, _my lord!_" she emphasized the last word in pure mockery.

Upon hearing her voice, he jerked his head up to meet with a very angry pair of auburn orbs. He smirked. Now this is a surprise!

"Oh no dear, I had no idea that you were going to be present here. I thought you _hate_ me." He replied with as much sarcasm.

"Oh yes I do!" she hissed and turned to go while the other person's name was announced.

She turned and Jellal forgot to breathe. _Holy back! Is she trying to kill me?!_ Her bare back was just too much for him to resist. There was just too much skin exposed. He wondered how it would be to feel those creamy smooth looking skin. Wait until he announces his bride. But he was still amazed for the fact that she even bothered to come, as one of his suitors nonetheless.

"It is time for King Jellal to announce his bride. Please, if you may, my lord?" the host bowed to the blue-haired king and he stood up straighter and rose his head higher.

"Lady…" he paused and looked where his red haired beauty was and it made all the women in that area to blush hard. "Erza Scarlet of Magnolia." He finished smoothly and Erza stepped out and bowed.

Jellal stepped down and raised the girls' face, his hand gently on her chin and smirked. That would be a look he'd never forget; a look filled with so much frustration and resentment. All the other women began to stomp their foot and groan. Their sweet façade crumbling right then and there and that was what Jellal hated most. Honesty is the first and foremost priority to him. And Erza was honest, beginning from their first meeting.

Jellal and his queen-to-be were, a very irritated queen-to-be at that were walking along the halls of the castle as a means of getting to know each other better. Jellal clasped his hands behind him and walked at a slow pace so that she won't get tired so easily and run away from him.

"So, milady… how do you feel?" he asked turning his head to glance at her.

"Feel about what? Why?" she snapped and folded her arms across her chest.

"How do you feel to marry me?" he asked with much patience that even surprised him.

"Oh! Absolutely happy!" she mocked. "After all, who would not be? His highness is the invincible king who is the strongest of them all."

"Please do not flatter me, milady. I might slip on my steps." He replied with the same tone as her but was that gratitude, Erza heard deep within? She didn't know and she didn't care. But her eyes lit up as a brilliant idea struck her mind.

"I might as well kill you on our first night together. Yeah! Why didn't I think of it before? Since you're such a womanizing bastard I should have given it a try. And if I die, it'd been for a noble cause but then again, I'll be considered as a traitor. Hmph! What a pain in the ass!" she rubbed her chin.

"Excuse me?" Jellal blinked.

"Did you say something?" Erza looked up at him and stopped in her tracks when she realized that she had spoken her thoughts out loud. "Well, oops! It slipped my mouth." She shrugged and left Jellal to gape at her bare back.

He shook his head and smirked as he followed her. She was the woman he had been waiting for all along. She was his perfect other half. She was the woman who'd bring him back from the deepest depths of darkness to the ever so bright light. She was the light itself. His pure, newly found reason for living. He'd protect her with his life. She was strong and more than capable of taking care of herself but she was a woman, nonetheless and there're way too may tricks in a wicked mind to fool them into breaking their strong shells. She might as well be a victim of that but he wouldn't allow it.

They stopped when they came to the royal garden. The place was a simple beauty of nature, one of the breathtaking sceneries in existence. The place was carpeted with green grass and to a long length; there were roses, chrysanthemums of all possible colors, each color in a separate row. Next to those were daisies, snowdrops and lilies. The larger ones were planted behind those and it all rounded in rows around a large fountain designed in large two swans, each facing the other and their wings stretched out, their forms shining under the sun bringing out the perfection of the marble it was made out of. There were little birds flying across the cloudless blue sky. Erza wanted to stay forever in that minute of time. It was so peaceful and so serene. Nothing like she'd ever seen before. She lifted her face skywards and closed her eyes, a smile on her face she let the tiny rays of light that peaked its way through the large trees caress her face. The wind that was not too strong but not too light either, managed to brush on her exposed skin making her tremble lightly. She rubbed her arms and smiled even wider. The moment was just too wonderful to be ruined.

Suddenly, through the red rose bushes, she spotted something white. Its white fur was giving its appearance way too much within those dark green leaves and red, red roses. Erza squinted her eyes to take a better look. It had mesmerizing blue eyes, one that rivals Mira's and fur whiter than snow.

_A fox? _It was the whitest fox she'd ever seen in her entire life.

"Jellal?" she called out to the king, suddenly remembering the person she shared the peaceful moment with.

"It's 'your highness' for you." He said flatly but stepped closer to her.

"Do you keep pets?" she ignored him.

"No, why?" he furrowed his brows when he remembered none who has a pet with him or her.

"But there is a fox over there." She pointed to the rose bushes. "Maybe it is lost."

"I can't see any fox, milady." Jellal said thrusting his hands deeper in his pockets.

"B-but I really saw a white fox over there. It had bright blue eyes too, like Mira's." Erza looked confused when she saw no-fox-over-there.

"White fox? Blue eyes? That's absurd, Lady Erza. Foxes do not have blue eyes. Besides, this is not even winter yet. So, why would there be a _white_ fox?" he asked bewildered but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. She looked way too innocent with a slight pout on her plump rosy lips.

"Are you implying that I lied?" she glared at him accusingly as he started to laugh.

"No" he replied simply and Erza turned on her heels to go back to the castle.

_Weird. Jellal's right. Why would a white fox with blue eyes be in this castle in the middle of the day? I've heard about sorcery but it was banned from the country while I was still cuddled in mother's arm. But why the hell would a white fox be here in this broad daylight? I swear I saw it! _Erza was too preoccupied to not to notice when she bumped into Jellal who had stepped in front of her when she turned to leave.

She winced when she came in contact with something hard yet warm. Rubbing her nose, she looked up to see an amazing pair of emerald orbs. There were so many emotions hidden in them but Erza could clearly see that he's suffered a lot. He'd gone through so much pain and agony that he locked himself within confines of hard metal, protecting his hurt self and putting up a façade to hide the sorrow in him. Erza's eyes fell on his lips for a brief moment and couldn't help but wonder how it would be like to taste them. A light blush crept its way up as the thought crossed her mind and she flinched back when she noticed how close their proximity was but failed to go any further as a pair of strong arms snaked around her bare back and brought her close. She could feel his hot breath on her lips and she let herself drown in his orbs once again. She didn't know why but she felt like he was insecure of what to do and needed someone to guide him. She wondered what kind of turmoil was in his mind that led him to do what he did.

"What happened to you?" she asked softly not really intending to ask the question out loud. She could see his eyes soften and it didn't take much long for her to realize that this wasn't the real Jellal. She knew that the real Jellal was kind and caring. But what made him turn to the cold bastard he is now?

"I don't know anymore." he whispered, his voice filled with perplexity and mortification. "I-I don't know… what to think." He closed his eyes for a brief moment and when he opened them, it was null and void of any emotion.

"Looks like you really care about me, huh?" he smirked and loosened his grip on her waist.

"Jellal…." Erza whispered.

"It's 'your highness' for you, love." He took her hand in his and turned to walk towards the castle.

Inside the rose bushes, the little white fox waggled its tail as she watched the couple and turned around when they walked in. she ran towards the main gates of the castle and slipped out without getting noticed. She ran through the city of Crocus undetected by any human being yet alone a tiny insect. She ran until she was far away from the capital city and ran through grassy fields and small and large villages that were still within the borders of Fiore. She stopped in the middle of a huge forest. Gazing sideways twice she slipped in through a large cave that was hidden with bushes and other grasses. The little fox tapped on a wooden door lying on the middle of the cave and stepped down through the little staircase as her form began to change. The waggling tail turned to that of a hem of a flowing dress of a woman. The little white fox turned into a woman with bright blue eyes and long straight hair that ended up to her hips. She wore a dark yellow and forest green kettle-corn dress that had a plunging back and a v-neckline. There was a long slit on the side of her dress but her legs were concealed at times. She walked bare footed on the cold hard ground with a malicious grin on her lips that was clad in burgundy as she walked in the underground base.

"Get out!" she heard someone roar. Grinning even widely she followed the voice to the source of it.

"I have returned, my lord" she bowed spreading her arms and stretching out one leg to the man who stood in front of her.

"Ah, my dearest Akira! I am glad you came back safe and sound. What news do you bring?" he turned and lifted her chin in between his thumb and index finger. He looked like he was in his mid forties and had black hair. He looked strong and pretty much muscular.

"My lord, your son has not yet returned from his honeymoon. And the young king has chosen his bride." Akira stood up and smiled wickedly. "Master Ivan, give me your orders and I will gladly fulfill them." She whispered running a hand on his torso.

"When is the wedding of my little nephew?" he grinned ever so viciously.

"Within a month, my lord. Is that the time you plan to take back your rightful throne?" Akira asked softly as she walked around in circles.

"No! We strike when the King is unguarded. Let him fall in love. He who had believed that love is not something he would need had at last fallen for it. That my dear nephew, will be your doom." He laughed coldly.

"I see that master has beautiful plans but is there something I can help his highness with?" Akira asked hovering over Ivan as he sat on the chair.

"Yes, my dear. Attend my nephew's wedding and see what happens and inform me. But I assume you have not left any suspicions?"

"Understood! No, my lord, those fools are utterly and completely oblivious to my presence for I am the strongest of them all of my race." She grinned wickedly and Ivan laughed.

"That's quite right. Now with Rosemary out of the way, there would be no one out there who can beat my sorceress!" he whispered and ran a hand on Akira's face. "I should pay my nephew for that little favor."

"You are the most evil person, the devil himself." Akira whispered in his ear and Ivan laughed maniacally, his voice echoing through the halls of his underground base where a countable amount of people were building weapons and other objects that were used in wars while girls wearing the most exposing clothes made food for the dethroned prince and brought it to him and his right hand witch.

* * *

**A/N- isn't he supposed to be dead? O.O uh, if you have any questions please ask ok? And I will welcome negative comments too. It helps me improve my work. And please, please read and review. I hope this chapter too was to your expectations ****J**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ahem! Jerza alert! Jerza alert! There's some heaty, is that a word? Wait, some steamy..no, I'll leave it up for you guys to guess the word for the Jerza moments! Hehe, thank you everybody!**

* * *

Chapter 5

The wedding of the young monarch was extremely close and every time Erza sees the king she turns away. She was having a mental breakdown of marrying or refusing on the day. She could just say 'no' to the priest the day after tomorrow. But that would cause such chaos.

Erza was pacing back and forth when her doors opened and Mira and Ultear stepped in. They had the biggest and sloppiest grin, one that rivals something Natsu gives her, on their faces.

"Why is our future queen so stressed?" Mira asked coming closer to Erza. She had just come from her honeymoon two days ago smiling rather brightly. Sure, why wouldn't she be? Unlike her, she was married to the person she love to her bones.

"I'm going to dump him on the aisle." Erza huffed blowing a strand of scarlet off her face. She stared at her closest friends with an annoyed look on her face as they began to laugh, really hard at that.

"You are just too cute, my lady." Ultear said wiping the tears formed in the corner of her eye.

"Whatever…." She was cut off when the doors burst open and the king stepped in.

"I would really appreciate it if you two ladies give us a minute of privacy." He asked Mira and Ultear who bowed.

"But of course, my lord." They chorused and left snickering, which fueled Erza's anger.

"My lady?" Jellal turned to face her when the door closed.

"What?!" she screamed and glared at the ultramarine in front of her who clicked his tongue.

"No, that won't do." He shook his head and the next moment, Erza was pinned to the wall by Jellal who stood only mere inches away from her.

"You're going to be my wife in a couple of days. Do you think you can avoid me then?" he whispered pulling a strand behind her ear.

"I can and I will." She replied firmly not averting her gaze from his eyes.

"Oh no, you won't." he closed the distance between them.

Erza could feel the skin of his lips touch hers briefly but she made no move to shove him away which was the only way since she was trapped between him and the wall. Her eyes grew wide when he gripped her chin slowly and pulled her face up. Without further notice he leaned in and closed the gap between their lips. His lips were rather soft for someone like him. She didn't know why she made no move to stop him but instead she found herself returning the little gesture. He tilted his head to a side so that he can deepen the kiss and Erza snaked her arms around his neck while his hands came around her waist, bringing her close. They pulled apart in dire need of air. Erza gazed at his eyes and found something which she thought she'd never see. Was that love in his eyes? Now that she thinks about it, the kiss, there was no force or greed in it. But he showed passion and tenderness in it. She wondered what was going through in that head of his. He'd changed so much since the first time she'd seen him. He wasn't flirting anymore or mocking her. And Erza wondered if he truly loved her.

Their lips met again in a heated kiss and Erza responded immediately. His tongue slipped in her moist cavern and their tongues fought for dominance. He moved his lips in light kisses down her chin to her neck and bit lightly on a sensitive part of her neck making her gasp a little. She grabbed his azure locks and brought him back to her lips so that they can once again battle with their tongues.

Jellal pulled back in need of air and rested his forehead on hers, his arms around her hips and bringing her closer. He gazed at her intently; her long, thick lashes and that amazing big ball of chocolate eyes and her shapely lips and long, thin nose, high cheek bones, her pale skin and the striking red hair which he had grown so fond of.

"I was going to dump you on the aisle." She whispered meeting his gaze.

"Does that mean you changed your mind now?" he chuckled and cupped her face.

"I'm still thinking." She frowned but smiled when he gave a light peck on her lips. She didn't know why but Erza felt happy when he kissed her.

"I-I want to tell you that… that my feelings for you are sincere, Erza." Jellal said softly. He didn't care if he stammers or stutters as long as he delivered his message to her. Erza gazed at him, long and hard.

"Then, why are you such a monster? You said you do not need love, t-that it is useless." She asked softly not averting her gaze from his.

"It was before you came around. You… you changed me, Erza. Because of you I-I want to go back to who I was." He insisted his eyes begging. "Help me, Erza. I do not think I can get over with this self. This thing in me… this dark thing won't let me go." he whispered and hid his head on the crook of her neck.

"I-I'll help you, Jellal. That is why I'm marrying you. That is the condition I'm marrying you but…" she sighed and he looked at her.

"But what?"

"But, I do not love you, Jellal." he felt hurt when she said those words. It stung. Those words were much stronger than he'd thought.

"I do not care my lady, for as long as you are with me." He smiled nonetheless. Being close to her and being able to see her was what matters the most. He needed her to rise back on his feet again. He needed her to get back again. He needed her to see the light again. He needed her to _live._

* * *

The whole palace buzzed with servants and maids running here and there to perfect the decorations of the young king's wedding. The color being red, all the curtains and carpets were changed to red which were former blue. There were red and white roses lined up in the hallways and almost everywhere.

Jellal and Erza were kept in a separate room, restricting them to see each other before their wedding, a brilliant idea Mira came up with. She and Ultear had asked the king to plan their wedding which the king agreed almost immediately.

"Where the hell did Erza go, now?" Mira roared as she came into Erza's room as she couldn't find the redhead anywhere.

"I'm right here, Mira." Erza sighed as she got up from her bed where Mira had forced her to sit until she comes back with her dress. "You forced me to sit here, remember?"

"Oh!" Mira deadpanned. "But we need to get ready. The wedding begins in another two hours." She grabbed her hand led her to the dressing room.

Exactly after two hours, Erza stood in front of two large doors, holding her father, Duke Igneel's hand. She was pretty much nervous to step in front of so many royals from all the neighboring countries. She looked at her dress once again; Mira had done her nicely. Her dress was in pure white made out of only lace. It had a long lace sleeve that exposed her arms and collar in normal white fabric that came down in lace to her cleavage as a sweetheart neckline that was out of normal white fabric and from the back, the laces ended up to her mid back and it clung onto her body tightly and flared down from her hips and flowed way back from behind. Her hair was done in a messy up-do and a long veil hung on her back from the bottom of her loose bun. There was a bouquet of red and white roses in her hand and to complete her wedding attire, she wore a pair of white heels. Her makeup consisted of dark red lipstick that brought out her hair more and eye shadow of silver done in shades while eyeliner decorated her eyes, round.

"Are you nervous, Erza?" Duke Igneel asked, with a smile on his stern face. A smile Erza rarely saw. It was a smile he showed when he was extremely happy and Erza was glad that it was because of something she had done.

"Yes, a little bit." She smiled.

"It is going to be ok. I'm here for you." he squeezed her hand and the large doors slid open revealing a number of people seated on the long chairs and Jellal, right in front of her. He wore a white shirt that had red linings on its chest ruffles and was tucked into a pair of black pants that were tucked into a pair of onyx boots. There was a large red cape on his shoulders with the kingdom crest engraved on it in silver along with a silver ceremonial sword on his black belt and hands covered in black gloves. His hair was the usual; messy and sexy looking with a silver crown on his forehead. (Oh my god! If only he was real! .)

Jellal couldn't take his eyes off of her even for a second as she walked in a slow pace with Duke Igneel, towards him. He found it unable to believe that he was marrying someone so beautiful and caring. She was just the perfect person that was made for him though she didn't love him. But a part of him believed that she'll fall in love with him, eventually but another part had no hope that ever, love will blossom within them.

He smiled gently as she stepped beside him and let go of her father's hand. He could tell that she was nervous from the way she smiled at him. She just looked drop dead gorgeous for him to look away.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. My lord, you may now kiss the bride." His thoughts broke out when he heard the priest's final words.

He turned to face Erza who had a light blush on her face. He guessed that she was too shy to kiss him in front of all those people but it's not like it's something they haven't done. He extended his gloved hand towards her and she took it without hesitation. He smiled at her and leaned in so that his lips met hers in the final procedure of declaring her as his wife in holy matrimony. He could hear everyone clap in the background but he didn't want to pull away just yet but was forced when Erza pulled away rather abruptly.

The couple turned to the occupants and bowed. In a while they moved to the throne room where Erza was supposed to be crowned as the Queen of Fiore, officially. She held the back of his elbow all the while they walked towards the throne where a second chair was added.

Jellal stopped on the steps of the dais and turned to face the audience while Erza stopped inches away from the first step. A servant clad in the official uniform of the palace came with a blue cushion in hands where a beautiful crown was placed. It was made out of pure silver and designed to fit the crown of her head in a curved shaped. It was in thin lines with a ruby in the middle of it. It was beautiful and elegant and Erza could not believe that something like that belonged to her. Something like that was designed to fit her.

"Do you, Erza Scarlet agree to abide all the regulations and laws of this nation and to rule alongside me?"

"I do." She answered unconsciously though she didn't know who was speaking and what was happening at the moment. She was nervous and she could hear her heart beat echoing in her ears.

"I now crown you as the queen of Fiore who will rule alongside me." Jellal's voice broke her reverie and she felt something cold hit against the crown of her head; it was the tiara. "Arise, Queen Erza Scarlet." He held her chin and slowly, she arose from her sitting position which she'd done unconsciously as she'd practiced the steps to her bones.

"Long live the queen." Jellal said to the audience with a proud smile on his handsome face.

"Long live the queen! Long live the queen!" the occupants began to chant along with the maids and guards and servants. Erza smiled at them and bowed her head in gratitude.

There was a large party after the coronation of the queen and people after people came to greet the royal couple of Fiore.

Erza smiled and greeted whoever came across her and answered their question simply but didn't ask any in return. It was when she was walking towards Jellal she spotted something familiar. Very familiar blue eyes, not Mira's as it was much brighter than hers. She could have sworn she'd seen those eyes somewhere before but couldn't quite put the finger on where. She froze when realization struck her. _The fox… the white fox I saw in the garden. …Oh my god….. _Erza walked faster towards the king who was busily talking to a duke and duchess from some other country.

Jellal looked up to see his beautiful wife walking towards him with a bright smile on her face, showing her pearl teeth to all those people who greeted her. He wrapped an arm around her waist as soon as she stepped close enough for him to reach.

"Can we speak in private?" she whispered in his ear. Jellal could tell that it was something serious from the way she spoke.

"But my dear, we can't leave the guests. Wait for a while, the party is almost over. See there..." he pointed to the large doors where some people were leaving. "They are already leaving." Erza nodded. She knew it was rude to leave the guests in a party as their wedding and her coronation.

Within the next thirty minutes the whole throne room was empty of guests except the royal family and their new in-laws. Duke Igneel and king Makarov were busy talking. Erza gazed out of the window with no thoughts in mind. It was already night and the stars spread all across the sky was breathtaking. Her eyes drifted to the ground when she detected someone walking. It was the blue-eyed lady. She stepped a bit forward to see what she was up to and her breath left her when the woman turned into the white fox she'd seen days ago in the royal garden. It ran away in inhumane speed but Erza clearly saw the way the woman turned to the fox. Her grip on the wine glass loosened and it fell on the marble floor with a loud crash. She could care less about the glass. Erza knew that the kingdom was being spied on.

The royal family, the Fullbuster family, Natsu and his father jerked their heads towards the redheaded queen when they heard the loud crash. Jellal was the first to arrive to her. He grabbed her upper arm and shook her gently. There were little beads of sweat visible on her forehead and she was looking everywhere but them.

"Erza! Are you ok?" Natsu shouted and ran as fast as he could towards his sister like the others did.

"I-It was the fox. I wanted to tell you about it." Erza whispered softly. "She was here at the party i-in… in human form." She gasped out.

"Human form?" king Makarov and her father echoed.

"My dear, it must be a hallucination as you are pretty tired." Duke Igneel ran a hand on her hair.

"No!" she shot back. "That day when I went to the garden I saw a white fox in the rose bushes. It had blue eyes." Erza said gesturing to Mira's eyes. She looked up in confusion as everyone began to laugh.

"My dear..." king Makarov began putting a hand on her shoulder. "Foxes do not have blue eyes and there is no way a white fox would be in the garden in the middle of summer."

"That is what I told her too," Jellal smiled and took her hands in his. "You need rest."

Erza couldn't believe that they refused to believe her. She could swear on her deceased mother that she'd been telling the truth. She clenched her fists and clutched her jaw.

"Err… my queen; I have something to tell you." Mira stepped forward and all eyes turned to her. Erza raised a brow in a gesture to go on. From the look on the white-haired woman's face, everyone knew that she was trying to lift up the mood.

"I told you that you'll be the next queen of Fiore." She smiled sweetly and anger boiled in Erza's veins. She lifted her dress and Mira knowing what she was up to made a run towards the door. Without a moment's hesitation, Erza followed her childhood friend with the big dress flowing out behind her.

"T-that was not very lady-like." Ultear said softly and Lucy, being the only one who heard it, burst into laughter.

After chasing Mira all around the castle, maids came to take her back to her chambers. Her mind went blank at the thought of sleeping next to the king. Unconsciously, her cusses towards the king stopped and she found herself respecting him, even a little. Vowing Mira to get back at her the next time she sees, Erza walked away with the maids.

The king's chambers were the largest room she'd ever seen in her life. At the entrance there was a partition that concealed the bed. And to the right there was a couch and armchairs along with a wooden table. Erza walked further inside and gaped at the royal beauty of the room. The canopy bed was a tad bit larger than a king-sized bed with white sheets and pillows and blue small cushions on it and lace sheets falling to the ground. Next to it was a nightstand of the same wood. Opposite of it was a fireplace and next to it was a walkway that led to the bathroom where Erza was taken. On the side of the walkway, Erza saw the stars and she suspected that place to be the balcony.

The bath smelled of berries and other flowers. Erza inhaled the sweet aroma and slipped into the warm water filled with rose petals. After a long refreshing bath, Erza stepped out and the maids wrapped a robe around her body and dried her hair to which Erza insisted on doing but they refused saying that their duty was to serve the queen.

When Erza stepped out, Jellal was sitting on one of the armchairs his back to her and she didn't give much thought while the maids bowed and greeted him. They took Erza to a walk in closet which Erza hadn't seen before when she went to the bathroom. She was allowed to take her own nightgown and Erza felt delighted at the thought of choosing her own dress. She dismissed the maids as there were no other things she needs their help with and with a bow they left.

Erza walked in the closet to the section where different colors and types of nightgowns were hanged. She picked out a white short dress that had almost no back and a low-cut neck and the dress supposedly ended right below her buttocks. Being one who does not sleep with long clothes while she sleeps, Erza felt extremely content with the dress. Completely oblivious to the presence of someone on the door way of the closet, Erza untied the bow on her bathrobe and pulled it off of her shoulders and stopped abruptly when she felt someone watching her. She jerked her head towards the door and saw the king leaning on the door frame with a smirk on his face. His clothing has reduced to only the black pants he was wearing. Erza blushed lightly at his exposed torso and well-built abs.

"Like what you see?" he asked coming closer to her and Erza took a step back pulling her robe back on her shoulders.

"I have seen better." She hissed as his fingers brushed on her face which was a little wet from the little drops falling from her hair.

"Really? That is such a disappointment because I thought that I was the most handsome man on Earth." He whispered, teasing her as he hovered over her lips touching with his for a brief moment before going down her neck and back to her face.

"You are not, dear husband." She whispered gazing at his emerald orbs, seductively.

"Mhm, I see." He brushed his lips against hers but made no move to kiss her exactly.

"What made you think that you are the most handsome person on Earth?" she asked moving her fingers on his abs up to his torso.

"Because of women; they swoon over me for no reason." He said simply and snaked his arms around her hips.

"And how many of them had their fantasies come true?" she asked with a slight smile on her rosy lips. She knew it would be hundreds and more.

"Only one; someone I couldn't get out of my mind the whole day. Even when I'm asleep, I see her in my dreams." He said with a genuine smile on his lips. From his distant look, Erza knew that he was thinking about that specific woman. If he loved her so much why didn't her marry her? Certainly, he didn't marry her out of duty or out of obligation but out of true independence. Or did he want to forget about that woman by marrying her? Erza clutched her jaws. She will not let him use her for something like that.

"S-she has big brown eyes with so many shades in it and I loved the red hair the moment I laid my eyes on it. She's the most beautiful thing I ever came across in my entire life." He said softly and gazed at her eyes. Erza squinted her eyes as she let her mind sink in the description.

"M-me?" her eyes widened as she realized the perfect match of his description and Jellal laughed.

"You're so dense sometimes." He gave her head a light flick and Erza let out a cry, not in pain but in surprise.

"What was that for?!" she demanded and lunged at him. Jellal who was not ready for it lost his footing and both of them fell on the carpeted floor, Erza on top of him.

Jellal smirked at her and he blinked when a water drop fell on his eye from the tip of her bangs. He brushed her bangs to a side and cupped her face and she leaned in his touch. With a swift move, Jellal was on top of her. Erza gazed at him and once again, she could see love and affection in his eyes. He wasn't the bastard she'd known. His killings and mad activities had reduced drastically or she could say it had stopped entirely after she had known him. She was glad. She was glad that she'd the power to stop him and bring him back to his original course of life. He'd become much closer with Wendy and his other siblings.

"Jellal…" she whispered, a hand cupping his face.

"Mhmm?" he looked at her, his weight shifted on his elbows.

"D-do you… do you love me, Jellal?" she asked looking away.

Jellal smiled. She was falling for him with every passing second.

"I-I didn't ask because I-I love you or…." She was cut off not because she was angry at him for smiling when she asked that question but because he was raining down millions of feather light kisses on the skin of her lips.

"Yes, Yes I do love you." he breathed on her lips and Erza felt her heart skip a beat. He looked drop dead sexy with his hair like a mess and falling over her and his eyes partially closed like he was drunk. Yes, he was drunk. Drunk in love. Drunk in her love. She was obsessive than an addictive drug. He was addicted to a red haired drug that gets him drunk more with every single gaze.

Erza pushed herself up and gave a peck on his lips before lying back down. He looked at her in a mixture of surprise, confusion and compassion. He stood up and took her with him. The ground was too hard for his comfort. And he didn't want her petite figure to take on his weight.

She took a step back thinking that he didn't like it when she kissed him without any sort of love for him.

"May I?" he asked lowering his lips to hers.

"Have you ever asked before?" she frowned but didn't move from his grasp. Jellal chuckled, his eyes narrowing and he lowered his head.

"Yeah, right." He whispered and kissed her like he hasn't tasted her enough. He wrapped his hands around her waist and brought her close in a very abrupt motion that made Erza gasp. As soon as Erza began to reply he slipped his tongue in her moist cave to explore the treasure that lie inside. His kisses were so passionate and so tender Erza felt her knees going weak and if it wasn't for his strong arms she wouldn't be able to hold her body up. Jellal moved his hands up from her waist taking in the curve of her shape and up from her chest and pushed the robe off of her right shoulder. He moved his lips from her mouth down to her neck and her collar bone and smooth shoulder. Erza could only run her hands through his azure locks and move her leg up and down on his while gasping when he bites on her skin, softly. She gasped when he bit on a rather sensitive part of her neck and tilted her head to the left side so that he could have more access on her right side.

But suddenly, she felt a sudden dizziness in her head and she began to see images of her exterminated village. She saw images of her village being exterminated. She saw the houses on fire and Mira on a horse, not wait, that wasn't Mira. It was the blue-eyed woman. She had a malicious grin on her pale face. She was about to stab someone who had hair that of her father, the duke, with a spear.

Erza gasped and pushed Jellal away. She was panting hard, not from the kisses she and Jellal shared but from those blurred images she saw in her head. And of all those blurry images she was able to take _that _woman's face clearly. She had midnight-black hair and bright blue eyes and burgundy lips that looked ghostly.

"W-what… what was that?" she asked Jellal who stared at her in confusion.

"What was what, Erza?" he asked stepping closer to her.

"I-I saw her again. Jellal, do you have a general or captain or even a lieutenant who has blue eyes?" Erza asked in one breath but Jellal was able to follow every word.

"Yeah, I have lot of soldiers who have blue eyes." Jellal replied not knowing what she was saying.

"N-No.. I mean a woman. Do you have a woman with blue eyes in the army?"

"Yes, Mira and her sister." Jellal replied softly.

"Other than them?"

"No." Erza's breath caught in her throat when he answered. Something was going to happen. Something terrible and awful was going to happen and Erza did not like it even one bit.

"Hey, you ok?" he whispered and pulled a loose strand of scarlet behind her ear. Erza didn't reply and Jellal sighed.

"You need rest, come on." He pulled her towards the room and led her to the bed.

Erza climbed up the bed, not even bothering to change into her nightdress. Her mind was occupied in much more important things than changing her robe.

"Jellal, your kingdom is being spied on. You have to believe me." Erza spoke her eyes glued on the ceiling above her.

"Erza, I am the king and I know about everything that is happening around Mercerius and crocus and all the places within the border of my kingdom." He looked at her who did not avert her gaze from the ceiling. "Besides, my men are trained well not to let any spy slip through their fingers." He assured and gazed at the ceiling to see what had made the redhead so interested to keep looking at it without blinking.

"What if the spy is not human?"

"What?!" Jellal jerked his head to face his wife. "You're not making any sense, Erza. How can an animal possibly be a spy? Or even a bird?" he got up on his elbow and looked at his wife who was still staring at the ceiling. "Listen Erza, sorcery was banned from all of the world years ago so there is no one stupid enough to even test that. Because they'll be wiped out instantly or so my grandfather told me."

"But there is someone out there stupid enough to test _her _abilities. And that someone is very dangerous, Jellal." she finally looked at him, eyes filled with worry.

"Erza…" Jellal sighed. "You're just tired so sleep for now and we will talk about it tomorrow, ok?" he stroked her cheek and Erza turned away.

* * *

In the meantime, at King Makarov's chambers, two people sat in deep conversation that they forgot to sleep or even change their clothes after the wedding of the young king.

"Tell me Duke, what was the queen talking about tonight?" King Makarov asked raising his eyebrows, revealing the old-aged lines on his forehead.

"I do not know, milord. But I can guess that something is wrong. She said something about a fox being in human form." The duke replied thoughtfully. "If anyone out there is practicing sorcery, then that person must be punished. Because, there is absolutely no way for a human to turn into a fox without it and I don't doubt my daughter's words." He said firmly.

"If that person who practices sorcery knows that we have lost our only hope to defeat them, we're doomed." The king said gravely.

"But who will, sire?"

"I think it's _him_." The old king let out an exasperated sigh. "My second born."

"But wasn't he dead, milord?" the duke asked in confusion.

"No, he didn't die. I banished him from this country and convinced everyone that he was dead, as a punishment for attempting to kill his big brother in lust for the throne."

**A/N; Ta-Da! How was it? *blushes* I hope it was alright.**

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**OH MY GOD! I just love you all sooooo soooo much! You seriously are the BEST! Sooo I updated. Hehe. This is my first update with such a huuuuge gap between chapters right? Well, sorry about that. Forgive me!**

**and before i forget again, I DON'T OWN anything. except this story.**

**Enjoy!**

~Senshi no Seishin~

Chapter-6

* * *

"But sire, why would he practice sorcery?" Duke Igneel asked.

"Revenge. He wants revenge and to take the throne. What else would be there?" the old king sighed suddenly looking older than his age. "And now with Rosemary gone, it would be an easy victory for him by using sorcery. I knew it too late that my grandson had exterminated the village to extend the border as an excuse of treachery. If only the naive boy knew who they were."

"We do not have to fear sire, there is one person from that village alive. The only daughter of the main house." The duke smiled in assurance.

"What did you say, old friend?" the king looked at him immediately.

"My daughter comes from that village and she happens to be the only survivor."

"Thank heavens! Oh god, I thought we will be gone for good by that monster." King Makarov sighed in relief. "Rosemary had been acting as guardians of the royal family of Fiore over a century until sorcery was banned. Fate had had them to continue their bloodline just for the sake of saving our family, isn't it, old friend?" a small smile crept its way upon the king's face.

"I think so too, your highness. I have urgent matters to take care back at home. So I'll be leaving tomorrow, if that is alright with you, milord?"

"Yes! Yes, of course!" he extended his hands towards the man and duke Igneel took it with pleasure. Until we meet again, my friend." The king smiled at him and he returned it before leaving the king's quarters.

But within deep his heart, duke Igneel had a feeling that this would be his last time seeing them again. He didn't know why but his heart clenched at the thought of dying before his son got married. He had seen Erza getting married and there still was his son. Though Erza was not blood-related to him, he took care of her like his own and he loved her like she was his own daughter. A part of him urged to tell Natsu the truth about Erza and make him promise to take care of her though he will do it without him telling. He wanted to see both his daughter and son's face before dying.

_What am I thinking? Why am I thinking about dying? Must be my old age getting the better of me. _He chuckled to himself and left on his way to get a good night's sleep.

* * *

The next morning, all the members of the royal family along with their new in-laws had breakfast on one table. They enjoyed every minute and wished that the moment would last for forever.

"Natsu, Erza listen. I have to leave for Magnolia today. I'm sorry but I hope I could have waited a bit longer." Duke Igneel spoke apologetically to his children who were smiling brightly.

"I hope you could wait a bit more, father. I am going to miss you." Erza smiled sadly at her father.

"I will miss you too, pops!" Natsu grinned widely. "But I will go back within a week." No one failed to notice the disappointment in his voice.

"Was that disappointment I heard in your voice, Dragneel?" King Jellal spoke from where he was seated.

"I-"Natsu began but was cut off from the snickers of Sting, Erza, Ultear and her brother and Mira.

"What is going on here?" the old king asked and all the giggles stopped. "It's alright kids, you can tell me, I won't get angry. Besides I think I could have a little fun once in a while.

"Really grandfather?" Sting asked putting his fork and knife down.

"Do you really I want to hear it, sire?" Mira asked doing the same.

"Well, I think I m quite impatient now. From the way you're reacting, I can tell that it's important and amusing.

"Natsu and-"

"Shut up!" Natsu roared.

"Natsu and-"

"Don't you dare Mira!" Natsu hissed but failed to keep the blush hidden. "I will person-"

"Natsu and Princess Lucy are dating."

"-ally kill yo- Erza?!" Natsu gasped.

"WHAT?!" all others except the ones who knew cried.

"Yes dear royals. They both are in love." Gray cooed. All of them looked at Natsu who had a blush on his face and to Lucy who was hiding her face with her palms.

"Gray! Do you have a death wish?!" Natsu shouted.

"Sorry, but I think I'll pass." Gray replied coolly.

"Why you bloody asshole!" that's it! Natsu hit the sensitive nerve of him.

"What did you say, you babbling, babbling good for nothing buffoon!?" Gray stood up and slammed his hands on the table.

"You heard-"

"We are in the presence of his highness the great king and his-"

"Oh spare me the lecture, dear countess Ultear!" Natsu snapped at the dark-haired woman and she blinked.

"Is it ok to leave them like this, sire?" Mira asked the great king.

"Yes, let them have the moment of their life." He smiled at the two young men who was exchanging incoherent words and stomping on the floor or the chair or the table but the duo never dared to go fist-to-fist. King Jellal looked at them with an amused glint in his eyes and his sibling sighed. They had known both of them quite well and it seems that their bond was quite _abnormally _strong.

"Natsu dear and Gray dear? Why don't you lower that enchanting voice of yours and sit back?" Erza asked rather politely and the two men gulped. They knew what that means. Slowly, they began to sit back and lowered their heads.

All the occupants laughed and Erza couldn't help the smile that crept its way up. It had been a while since she hadn't felt like this. It's been a while since she hadn't felt this happy. But deep down, she couldn't help but wonder if a perfect moment like this will ever occur.

After the breakfast, duke Igneel asked his son to meet him privately to which Natsu frowned at first but followed him, nonetheless.

"Natsu..." the duke began with a sigh and made himself comfortable in the couch in his room. "I need you to listen to me very, very carefully, do you understand?" Natsu nodded as he flopped on the couch opposite from his father. "I want you to know who Erza really is."

"What? An alien?" Natsu laughed. He was still in his funny mode to take anything seriously.

"Natsu! I am being serious here." The duke said sternly. "Very serious, indeed." Natsu stopped his maniac laugh and gazed at his father.

"What is it?" He asked scanning a pair of similar eyes as him.

"Erza is not a normal being like us. Listen to me 'til I finish, boy." He raised a hand as Natsu opened his mouth. "She comes from the strongest family of sorcerers. And Erza is the last of their bloodline; the Rosemary. She is a descendant of Rosemary Scarlet who was the strongest of all sorcerers. They acted as guardians of the royal family of Fiore for years until the use of magic was banned. But as you can see, all of them were murdered except for Erza. She survived rather mysteriously and her full name is Erza Rosemary Scarlet" He finished softly and looked at Natsu who was beyond bewildered.

"Wow!" Natsu let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "What powers does she have?" his eyes lit up. It was not every day you get to see someone using magic and talking to spirits. His father fought the urge to face palm his face.

"Natsu!" he hissed. "You-"

"I got it, father. You do not have to tell me. I will protect her with my life; that is the promise I make form the bottom of my heart." Natsu patted on his chest.

"Good, you know that I will always watch over you both." He smiled at his son.

"Hey… why are you talking like you're going away. Dad, you're only going home and I will be there in a few days." Natsu felt a stinging pain in his heart at the thought of his father dying.

"You never know Natsu, when you're going to die. It always lurks around you trying to strike at the most perfect moment." He said softly and brought his son to a hug.

_No matter what you'll always be my son and Erza will be the daughter I never had. I don't know what this feelings mean but my heart says it's time for goodbye, son. I will always love you both._

* * *

Later that afternoon, Duke Igneel stopped in front of his carriage and turned to face his children. Erza looked angelic in the flowing white dress that had a large v-neck and clung onto her body perfectly and loose from her hips. She looked more of a queen with her hair waved and cascading down her shoulders. And Natsu looked the usual as he stood beside Lucy. At least before he parts with them, he saw the person his son was in love with. Lucy was a wonderful girl and a beautiful princess.

Erza ran down the steps and gave her father one last hug.

"I hope to see you again very soon, father." She clutched the fabric of his shirt tightly and stayed for a long time until Natsu came and gave them both a hug.

Duke Igneel waved one last time and turned to face the road ahead.

"We have to get inside." Natsu squeezed Erza's arm as they watched their father's carriage ride out of the palace gates. "Looks like rain is on its way." He gazed at the sky which had begun to darken with dark clouds.

All the people who'd come out to say goodbye stepped in followed by Natsu and Erza who went in last.

"Natsu?" Erza whispered.

"Yeah?" Natsu looked at her.

"Don't you think it is a bit odd?" Erza frowned.

"What is, dear sister?" Natsu knew what she was going to say but he didn't show it, instead, he plastered an innocent smile on his face. Erza looked at him and groaned.

"Never mind." she rolled her eyes and walked ahead of him towards Jellal who was sitting on one of the armchairs in the room. Natsu sighed in relief.

She was only about three steps away from Jellal when the same images she saw last night flickered in her mind. But this time, she couldn't hear any voice except one booming voice in her head and a woman screaming. The same images rolled around her head and Erza slapped her hands on her ears and winced. Everyone looked at her when she bent on her hips.

"Erza, are you ok?" Jellal stood up abruptly as Erza sank on the floor, hands covered on her ears.

Everyone was walking closer and asking the same question over and over again but Erza couldn't hear. She let out an ear-piercing scream when she could no longer hold the pain anymore. The images were becoming clear with each passing second so was the loud booming voice. She let out another scream which made everyone cover their ears.

"Oh my god, oh my god." Erza panicked when the images stopped abruptly but the booming voice remained, blocking her hearing. "Natsu!" she shouted and she felt a hand wrap around her shoulders bringing her close. She opened her eyes to see Natsu hugging her sitting on his knees and there were visible tears on his face while the others kept muttering things she couldn't tell or hear.

Erza let out another ear-piercing scream and Natsu hugged her more firmly and buried his head on her shoulder. Tears rolled on her face as the pain in her head became excruciating and she let out another scream and she fell limp on Natsu's arms abruptly.

Natsu took her body in his arms in bridal style and laid her on the couch where Mira had cleared all the cushions so that Erza can lay comfortably. Everyone looked at her confusion and bewilderment clear in their eyes.

Jellal felt like his hear t was going to stop beating for good when she started screaming like that. It held so much pain and agony. It did break his heart to see her like that but he or the other people present didn't know what happened to her or why it happened.

"Has this happened before?" he asked Natsu as he knelt beside her unconscious form.

"No." Natsu's voice was ghost of a whisper. It was like his father told him. Erza was different from all of them. Natsu turned on his heels ignoring the questioning glares as he stormed out of the room to the only place he could find his answers.

Natsu stopped in front of two large doors that were placed in the middle wing of the castle which he certainly knew that would give his questions an answer.

"Yes? How may I help you, Lord Natsu?" a small girl who had pale blue hair asked as she gave a bow. She wore a pair of red glasses and a yellow band on her head.

"Levy, could you give me some books on mythical creatures and things like that?" Natsu asked rubbing his chin. He had known Levy, the librarian of the royal library as Lucy spends most of her time in the library reading books and he'd gotten really close to the blue-haired girl.

"Right away, sir!" Levy ran towards a certain rack of book and brought about three large books and placed it on the desk where he sat. "Here, I will be at my desk if you need help with anything." With that the girl walked away.

Natsu cracked his knuckles and flipped the first book open and rummaged through the pages like a hungry beast. There was nothing on the first book that was the same as what happened to Erza. The second book was the same. He almost lost hope when he came to an end of the third book but his eyes widened as he saw the last page of the third book. There, it was a picture of a woman with long flowing hair and dress who was crying really hard. The book was really old and the pages had turned yellow but Natsu was able to read what was written on it. The headline read; banshee and Natsu froze when his eyes landed on the description of banshee.

_-The banshee or banchee is a female spirit or a woman who begins to wail if someone close to her is about to die. Alleged sightings of the banshees have been reported as recently as X770- _

_This is year X775. Then the last banshee who was seen was recorded 5 years ago. Just about when pops brought Erza to our home._

The description of the banshee was just what happened to Erza. She was screaming and crying at the same time.

"Erza…. Is a banshee?" Natsu whispered to himself. "Then, whose death was she warning about?" Natsu rubbed his temple as he searched his mind for the answer. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't think of anyone. And the book said the banshee wails if someone close to her is about to die. But the unanswered question is who?

* * *

Duke Igneel was almost a day away from Magnolia, his beloved town. The rain was pouring down really heavily it was almost difficult to see the surroundings but the driver being a professional, he was able to ride through the heavy rain estimating their arrival per usual. He was already missing his two kids and wondered if they were alright.

_Of course, they will be! They're my kids after all._

The next day when the sun rose, there were no light or the blinding rays but the gloomy sky filled with dark black clouds with rain bucketing down every now and then. The duke peeked his head from the window and gazed at his town. It was the usual, but there was an odd aura lurking everywhere.

He stepped out before the carriage stopped and scanned the town. It was dark but he can see his surroundings. There were all the lights of houses on but there were no people out on the roads. It was like the lively roads had become deserted. And then there was a loud scream from behind. The duke turned and saw his fellow townspeople running towards him and everywhere else.

"Milord! You have got to help us!" one of them shouted.

"We are under attack!" another yelled.

"They are monsters!" a little boy shouted.

"They are just outskirts of the town."

The duke ordered his men and the soldiers from the royal militia and strode off on his own horse to see the enemy who had dared to challenge the great Igneel, the king of all warriors. His eyes widened as he stepped on the hill that gave a view of his border. There, marching towards his precious town was a huge army of samurais in red. The duke frowned. The samurai's era ended a century ago. It was then realization struck him like thunderbolts. _Sorcery, they're necromancers. Summoned from the depths of spirit world. From the world of dead._

"Send word to King Jellal that Magnolia is under attack by an army of samurais." He ordered and one man who was wearing the royal armor strode off in the direction of Crocus. It would take at least a day to the capital with the fastest horse.

* * *

Erza slowly opened her eyes after lying unconscious for a full day. Her head stung like crazy and she blinked several times to clear her vision. She tried to sit up but fell back, not because of the pain in her head but because of a weight that crushed down on her.

"I thought I lost you." Jellal whispered in her ear and kissed her earlobe. Erza wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened.

"You were unconscious for a day, Erza." Jellal got up and sat beside her.

"What?" Erza gasped. Her head ached as she remembered what had happened to her before she lost consciousness. She remembered seeing the blue-eyed woman stabbing someone. That man had the exact same hair as her father. But how many of them out there had that hair?

"J-Jellal?" she called to him as she sat beside him.

"Hm?" he turned to face her.

"I-It's the fox woman. Jellal, you have to believe me! She's going to kill someone out there. We have to stop her!" Erza rose to her feet.

"Erza, wait!" He followed her out of their room to only Erza and god knows where.

"I have been seeing things in my head. I see that woman killing people. I saw someone die, Jellal." she stopped and turned to face him. "A-and I can't stay here doing nothing." Her voice cracked at the end.

"That must be a bad nightmare." He said to her but Erza was long out of earshot.

The royal couple went into the great King's chambers where Natsu and the king were engaged in deep conversation.

"Erza!" Natsu hugged her tightly as soon as he saw her. "Thank god you're safe." The king gestured them to sit down.

"What happened, Erza?" Natsu asked before anyone else could ask.

"I-I saw images of the fox woman. And there was a booming voice in my head that blocked my hearing. I do not know why it happened." Erza answered softly.

"Did that happen before?" king Makarov asked looking at her intently. Erza furrowed her brows and thought for a moment.

"N-no." she shook her head but stopped when she remembered something. "Yes, yes it happened before. It happened." She breathed.

"When?" the king asked again.

"Before my village was exterminated." King Makarov and Natsu shared a secret look but Erza caught it.

"What is it?" she asked strongly looking at Natsu and the king, then back at Natsu. "What do you know?"

"We don't know why it happened, dear. But I think someone is trying to send a message through you." the king replied.

"A message through me? But why?"

"I do not know. Maybe it is a warning of some sort." Natsu made a guess though he knew the answer except for one damn one. He knew that Erza is a banshee but he didn't want to tell her yet. He knew if he told Erza that she'd do anything to protect the soul that had been warned of death. But it might also result in Erza being in danger. She was reckless and stubborn and that may become her disadvantage if she tries to save the person. Besides, if there is a sorcerer out there, it might lead Erza to its trap.

"A warning?" Erza echoed. She couldn't understand anything. "You are not making any sense!" Erza cried.

"What did you see, dear?" the king asked and Natsu leaned forward in his seat and Jellal just sat on the armchair next to Erza taking in everything they were talking about.

"I-I saw the fox woman I told about. She was holding a spear of some sort and raised it high to stab someone. Someone whose face I couldn't see but I know his hair color." Erza said softly.

"What color?" Natsu asked rather strongly for Erza's liking.

"Your hair color, father's hair color." Erza shook her head. "There are thousands of people who have the same hair color out there."

"Yeah." Natsu sighed. Erza was right. He can't jump to conclusions yet.

"What are we going to do? What does my dream has to do with reality?"

"What do you think?" the king and Natsu asked at the same time.

* * *

The samurais had filled the little town of Magnolia and were raining down blood and shattered clothes of the soldiers who fought against them. Everything they touch and everyone they see, they set it on fire and kill them. They were much larger than a normal man and much stronger than anything the soldiers have come across. But the worst part was no matter what type of attack the Magnolians land on the army, it be arrows with poison on its tip or by swords or spears; they had no effect on them. Or rather the army was _invincible _as the whole of Magnolian army was unable to scratch the bloody samurai armor. And they don't even know who their captain or who they work under. But one thing was definite; whoever had sent the army wants all of Fiore gone. If it isn't, then why would they be sending an immortal group? Knowing that they cannot defeat them with their swords and courage.

There were three large samurai warriors surrounding the duke. But he did not flinch. He was not afraid. He was the world's strongest warrior and he will remain and he will die like one. He will set an example and the world shall always remember his bravery and his sacrifice. The samurai on his left lunged and the duke dodged but not before slashing on one leg of the samurai warrior. The other two attacked him and he dodged easily and landed blows on each of their armor-less places. He took three arrows from his pack and aimed at the three warriors who stood in front of him in a line. Without wasting a moment, the duke turned the bow horizontally and aimed at the face of the monsters and let the arrow crumble their masks. When the arrow hit them, their face armor broke revealing nothing but darkness. Their faces were hollow. Those creatures had no face. It disappeared like dust in the wind and the duke stared at it with narrowed eyes.

_If you want to beat the samurais, you have to destroy their face masks. I have got to deliver this message to the king. There is no doubt that they will attack Crocus._

"Well, well, well..." the duke turned as a female voice giggled behind him. "If it isn't the great duke of this lovely city." The duke spotted a woman sitting on one of the roofs of the houses. "Well, it's not lovely now, is it?" Her left leg was exposed by a long slit on the green and yellow dress she was wearing. The woman had coal black hair styled in a wide pouf and a bow using her locks tied at the bottom of the pouf and the rest cascaded down to her hips. Her lips were clad in burgundy and her bright blue eyes glistened with mischief and evil.

_Blue eyes? _"So you're the sorceress who summoned these monsters?" He asked firmly.

"Oh? You already know me? Well, that would be quite troublesome but worry not!" she jumped down landing abnormally straight with her dress flowing behind her. "There is nothing I cannot handle."

"You witch! What do you want?!" the duke demanded, swirling his sword expertly.

"I want to serve my king as a his loyal servant." The sorceress smiled wickedly.

"Who do you serve?" the duke asked positioning himself in a fight-and-defend stance.

"His Royal Highness King Ivan." She laughed manically. "But I cannot let you live now for you have known too much, my lord" She smiled lightly and advanced forward, her body changing to a swirl of whirlpool as she moved in circles around the duke.

The duke did not take his eyes off of the witch as he gripped the hilt of his sword more firmly and held the shield above his neck. With an evil laugh the sorceress lunged at him and the duke brought his shield higher but the woman moved skywards and attacked him from behind. The duke fell on the ground but pulled himself up the moment he hit the ground. The enemy was too strong for him to take his eyes off of her even for a second. But the moment he turned to face her, a spear ran right through his heart. He coughed up red blood and fell on the ground unceremoniously. Erza and Natsu flashed into his mind and he smiled at their smiling faces. The duke grunted when the woman flopped on him, her hands trailing the shape of the spear. Her leg was kneed on his chest while the other was stretched out behind her.

"W-who are you?!" the duke tried to push the woman off of his body but to no avail.

"The name…" she moved her lips closer to his ear and whispered. "…Is Akira." He grunted when Akira pulled the spear out of his body and coughed up more blood. "Good night, my lord." She got up and smiled roguishly before leaving the warrior to die in the cold night air.

Akira turned to go but noticed someone watching the little fun she had. She turned her head and saw a Magnolian soldier. She grinned wide and walked over to the sulking soldier. His eyes looked as it would pop out of his sockets anytime now.

"Darling, I want you to do me a favor." She bent to his level.

"W-w-what is it?" the soldier trembled uncontrollably.

"I want you to deliver that body to the Palace, unharmed. Just the way it is." Akira smiled sweetly at the man who nodded wildly.

"Good boy! I shall give you some cookies. But when you fulfill your mission, only." She turned away and ordered a samurai to bring a carriage.

"This will take you there within mere hours. Go now, my beloved soldier and you will receive your souvenir once you deliver it."

The soldier took his master's lifeless body in his arms, almost in tears and walked over to the carriage. Duke Igneel was a kind person who cared for everyone. He had given all of them hope. With one last look at his beloved town, where all his family and friend's dead corpses lay, he turned away when the carriage rode off. No one had survived except him. And the duke was the last person who was killed.

"Forgive me, my lord….forgive me young master….young mistress." He sobbed holding his master's hand. "…I have failed you all…"

* * *

The royal family and the Fullbuster family were all in the dining room when an exhausted and exasperated soldier came hollering in.

"My king!" all eyes turned to the panting soldier standing on the doorway. "Magnolia is under attack!"

**How was it?! Please please please READ AND REVIEW! And help me improve! Ok!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Oh my god! I can't believe that I'm this late updating! I'm so so so so SORRY guys! Anyways! This is my birth day gift for all of you! I'm finally seventeen! Whoahooo! Hehe :P please keep reading this story even though I update late. Okay?**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter-7

**NALU ALERT! **

* * *

"My king!" all eyes turned to the panting soldier standing on the doorway. "Magnolia is under attack!"

Erza and Natsu jumped up from their seats.

"What?!" they gasped.

"Magnolia is under attack by an army of samurais." The soldier informed on his knees.

"Samurais?!" Natsu cried. "What is this, thirteenth century? There is no fucking way a bunch of samurais…" he trailed off when realization dawned on him. "No… no damn it!" he ran a hand through his salmon hair in frustration.

"Send squad three to back them up." King Jellal ordered.

"NO!" both Erza and Natsu screamed.

"This is not the time to be stubborn! We need to help them if Magnolia wants to see another dawn." Jellal felt anger boiling in his veins. He was trying to protect something for once and they are refusing to accept his help.

"We are not being stubborn!" Erza gritted her teeth.

"You do not know what you're dealing with, none of us know."

"Well, I am only trying to help your fucking town, Dragneel!" Jellal screamed getting up from his seat.

"This is not the time to argue among us." Gray said softly. "Magnolia needs help."

"Can you not see, Gray?" Natsu exploded.

"Can I not see what, Natsu?" Gray asked with as much force as Natsu.

"Where the hell will a bunch of freaking samurais will come out? Their era ended ages ago!" Natsu waved his hands in the air.

"Natsu is right, Gray-sama." Juvia placed a hand on Gray's shoulder to sooth him down.

"I-It...I-It's…" Erza trembled as she remembered the flickering images she saw. Jellal walked over to her and took her hands. "It's necromancy." She breathed out but all the occupants heard it.

"What's that?" Lucy asked confused like her brother and sister, albeit scared when they saw the scared look on their sister-in-law's face knowing perfectly that Erza wasn't someone who'd be scared easily.

"S-sorcery." Erza replied and she could hear them gasp. "Summoning. Summoning from the world of the dead."

They all sat in a room in the most dreadful silence they have all experienced. Natsu kept clenching and unclenching his fists and growling under his breath every now and then, and Lucy would run her hand on his back to soothe him.

"Duke Igneel is the strongest warrior in the world. He will protect Magnolia." Mira said softly.

Erza got up and stood beside the window, gazing out as the rain poured on the hard rocked-floor of the yard. She closed her eyes and scanned the images she saw in her head. She had been too scared and too weak to see those things clearly. Her eyes snapped open when she realized another thing. All those time she'd thought that she was seeing Rosemary in her head, but now when she looked at it clearly, she saw _Magnolia_ in shatters. Houses and trees were aflame and the soldiers were fighting against some things she couldn't tell and the person who was fighting against the blue-eyed woman was….her father. Erza took a step back. All this time she had seen her father dying. But she had refused to see the images clearly for she might be scared. If only she had given it some more thought, maybe she could have figured it out before her foster home got attacked.

"W-what if…" they all turned to look at her when she spoke, not averting her gaze from the window. "What if the enemy is not human?" she asked softly.

Before anyone could answer the doors flung open and the royal messenger stepped in and bowed.

"My lord and my lady, a messenger form Magnolia has come." As soon as the words were out all the people hurried to see that person except for Erza. Natsu noticed that Erza was not coming and he walked up to her.

"Why are you not coming?" he asked softly.

"I am preparing myself for the worst." She whispered and when she turned to him, Natsu could see the tears welling up in her eyes. They intertwined their fingers together and walked out of the room.

xxxxxxxx

Erza felt her knees go weak with every step she takes towards the carriage. Her heart beating like there was no tomorrow. She felt like it would break her rib cage, rip her chest and jump out. Their vision was blocked by the heads of other royals and her friends. She knew something was wrong when she heard some sniffing and sobbing. Jellal turned and came up to her to give a bear hug.

"You do not want to see that." He whispered and hugged her tightly. Natsu's and hers fingers loosened as Natsu moved forward.

"What happened?" Erza asked and tried to push Jellal away but his hold was much stronger. Erza knew that something was not right and her fears came true when Lucy screamed out Natsu's name.

Natsu walked slowly towards the carriage and into the rain. There, on the cold ground, under the heavy rain, lay his father's lifeless body. He had a smile on his face. It was as if he knew he was dying and that he was ready for it. Was that the reason why he had told her about Erza? Was that the reason why he kept saying that he loves him and his sister over and over again? But he promised he'd watch over them forever. Natsu fell on his knees and he felt his eyes stinging with tears that fell on his cheeks, mixing with rain.

"Is this how you watch over us?!" he cried his voice hoarse and filled with agony.

Erza shoved Jellal off and ran into the rain when she heard Natsu scream. Her knees went weak at the sight that greeted her. Why does things like that happen to her? Why do everyone close to her dies all the time? She collapsed on the ground beside Natsu and cried her eyes out. There were no sounds but Erza knew that she felt sad and guilty for his death. She moved closer to Natsu who was trembling and hugged him, her head buried on his shoulder. She knew this was bound to happen. She knew that someone was going to die but she was too afraid of the results. He loved her like his own. He took care of her like his own. There were never any discrimination between her and Natsu and never once, had Natsu complained about it.

"I'm sorry Natsu… please forgive me." She whispered, tear drops bubbling on her lips.

"You didn't know, Erza. It's not your fault." He bent his head down and gripped her arm around him, hard. Though his voice was strong, Erza knew he was fighting an internal battle against tears. For her, the duke was a foster father but to Natsu, he was everything for him after his mother died when he was only four. She hugged him more tightly and let all the tears fall out.

Both of them then looked up at the messenger who brought the duke's lifeless body. He looked terrified and they knew he was crying too despite the heavy rain that was pouring down on them.

"Tell me the details." Erza asked strongly but kindly. "What happened there?"

"I-I'm sorry, my queen." The soldier sobbed loudly and fell on his knees.

"You need to tell us what happened so we can figure out something." Natsu spoke up softly and rose to his feet, Erza following suit.

"I-I was searching for survivors when the samurais suddenly vanished into the air and I saw…saw the duke fighting a woman. I hid behind a ruined house, and watched her every move. She..." the soldier coughed up when he began to speak about Akira. But he needed to tell them everything. "She was…she was…" he coughed up blood from his nose and mouth as he began again but nevertheless, the soldier tried to tell them. "Her…name was…name was…" he gasped loudly and rolled on the ground, clutching his neck while coughing up blood without stopping.

"Soldier!" Natsu ran over to him but the soldiers' condition was only getting worse.

"Take him to the infirmary!" Jellal ordered but before anyone could go up to him the soldier fell limp on the ground, his eyes wide in horror as he lay lifeless under the heavy rain.

"No, no, no!" Erza walked over to him and checked for a pulse but found none. "He's dead." She announced and there were gasps coming from them while Wendy's eyes stung with unshed tears and Jellal ordered Sting to take her inside.

xxxxxx

Meanwhile in Prince Ivan's lair, Akira laughed loudly when she realized that she had given the Magnolian soldier what she'd promised to give him.

"What is making you so happy, Akira?" the prince walked into her chambers and sat on a chair.

"I gave the best cookie to the Magnolian soldier." She smiled wickedly.

"You have done a good job." The dethroned prince crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. "You know where you should head next, don't you?"

"Yes milord, the Snow Village."

"Yes, destroy all the strong arms and legs and then we attack the main body." He grinned maniacally and Akira leaned towards him, her face only inches apart from his.

"Understood, you highness." She whispered in his ear.

xxxxxxx

Later that night, the dead body of the duke was cleaned and wrapped in his warrior armor and the sword in his hands which was kept on top of his body which was kept in the throne room under king Makarov's orders.

Erza and Natsu had changed their clothes and being an official ceremony, Erza and Jellal had their crowns on their heads. Erza stood beside Jellal whose gloved hands held hers tightly. Lucy was holding Natsu's arm. All the soldiers, beginning from the knights to foot soldiers and maids and servants had all lined up in the large room. While the royal family and Natsu stood on the dais and the duke's dead body lay on a long table between them and the other occupants of the room.

"We all know that the Duke of Magnolia was a great person." King Makarov stepped forward. "He was the best warrior the world has ever seen. All of you, who had fought alongside him, should know that." He tried to keep a strong face in front of his men despite the chaotic turmoil in his head. "We will always remember the king of all warriors; Lord Igneel. Tomorrow we begin the construction of his memento." The king stepped back and Jellal stood forward.

"You must know by now, that our enemy is strong. But do not fret for we are stronger than them." Jellal tried to motivate the soldiers who had somewhat given up when they saw the duke lying lifeless. Everyone knew how strong and capable he was, but him to get defeated so easily, they could not even imagine the strength of their enemy. "We don't know much about the enemy yet but we will not let Lord Igneel's death be in vain. We will avenge him. We will bring down the enemy and bring them to justice. Are you men with me?" Jellal's voice dominated the whole room.

"Yes sir!" they all replied at once.

"Long live Fiore." The king said strongly.

"Long live Fiore! Long live Fiore!" the occupants chanted and bowed on their knees to the royals before them.

Jellal went back to stand beside his wife after the little motivation speech he gave them and king Makarov asked to cover the duke's body. Erza clutched Jellal's hand rigidly as a fresh batch of tears rolled down her face. She bit her lip to refrain herself from making any sounds and closed her eyes as they covered his face. Natsu clenched his fists and looked away as his father's body was concealed. He will avenge his father even if it costs him his life. He will cut the enemy down in half.

* * *

The next morning, Erza sat on her soft bed, hugging her knees and lost in thoughts. Her mind was occupied with memories of Rosemary and Magnolia. Those two places held so many sweet memories she had cherished so much. She had met Ultear and Gray, really wonderful friends when she was taken in by the duke. She still remembers the smile Natsu had on his face when he introduced her to the Fullbuster siblings. But now, both the place she had loved most is gone. Was she a curse? Is that why all those things and all those people she loved were being murdered? Everywhere she went, the place gets massacred, really horribly. She didn't know what to think anymore. If she stayed here any longer, Crocus as well might get destroyed. The people she had known here, people she'd become family with were just too nice to experience that fate. Lucy and Wendy and Sting were too innocent to deserve that. Mira and her siblings do not need any more torture. And she can't afford to lose Natsu and the Fullbuster siblings. They mean much more than friends. They are the family she had left. And Jellal… well, she isn't sure if Jellal too deserve to die. Because he still need to live to atone for his sins.

Just then, Jellal came into the room and sat beside her. His eyes filled with worry and concern

"Jellal…." she was the first one to break the silence around them. "I-I need a divorce." She said with all the courage she could muster.

"You are not thinking straight." He said softly and leaned closer to her.

"Can you not see?!" Erza stood up abruptly. "Can you not see that… that I am cursed, Jellal?" she breathed and the tears once again fell on her cheeks.

"Cursed?" Jellal echoed. "No, Erza you are not cursed." He stood up, towering her petite form.

"Then, why do everyone around me die?" she asked wiping the tears furiously.

"Everyone will die, eventually. But that does not mean that it is because of you." he cupped her cheeks and lifted her face so that he could gaze straight into her brown pools. "They leave you for a reason. Their deaths make you stronger. Sometimes, it is an indication that we should move on, on our own. We can't hold them and feel guilty. It will only hold us back and cease us from seeing the path that they left in front of us. You taught me this, Erza." He squeezed her smooth face and wiped the tears on her face with his thumbs. "You are stronger than this. You were a ferocious one little girl who changed me for good. Everyone around me looked up to you. You were their role model. How I know this? I heard rumors." He rested his forehead on hers. "Do you know what the palace attendants and maids said?" Erza shook her head and Jellal smiled, closing his eyes. "They said, 'Our queen will change our king. He will come back. Just look at her, with those determined eyes and goodhearted self. Is she not, a lot like the late queen?' they were all smiles when they said it. But what will happen to them, if you leave? They… they have hope now, Erza. They have hope, the most crucial thing I took from them. You are their role model, Erza. And… and I am proud to say that you are my… wife." He opened his eyes.

Erza smiled. That was one hell of a lecture. "I… thank you, Jellal." she whispered and he wiped off a lone tear that fell on her left cheek. "Thank you for bringing me back from that pathetic sate. I think I owe you."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Natsu sat in his own room, hands buried in his hands. The only thing on his mind was his family and how he should live on his own. Sure, he still has Erza and he considers Gray and Ultear as a part of his family but his father, his father was his own flesh and blood and there was a reason why the saying 'Blood is thicker than water' exists. He knows that Erza and Ultear and Gray will always be with him but all people whom he shared his blood was now gone. He sighed as another fact dawned on him. He wasn't alone and he wasn't the only person who'd lost all his family members. Erza had lost all her relatives before she joined his family. And they weren't the only people who'd lost their entire family. All they need to do is rely and be for each other. Always, and forever.

He didn't even look up when someone opened his door.

"Hey, I knocked a lot but you didn't answer. You okay, Natsu?" he looked up to meet a pair of worried brown orbs.

"Yeah, I'm fine Lucy." He took her small hands in his. "I think…"

Lucy sat beside him and pulled him into a hug. It was not like their relationship was a secret. Thanks to Erza, all the important people know now. He buried his head in her hands and inhaled her soft scent.

"It's going to be ok." She whispered into his hair and ran a soothing hand on his arms. "I'm here for you. We're going to beat the enemy. Like we always do."

Natsu lifted his head up slowly and he flushed at their proximity. He could feel her breath on his nose. Only a tilt and he would taste those rosy lips. Upon crossing that thought he moved up until his lips were on hers and he could hear her heart beat rising and he could feel her face flushing deep red, maybe darker than Erza's hair. But he didn't let go, instead he deepened it and pulled an arm around her waist bringing her close while the other went to hold the nape of her neck. She was so small in his hands.

Lucy could feel hate radiating off of her head as Natsu deepened their first kiss. She couldn't bring herself to push him away and deep down, she knew she wanted this. And hence, opening her lips, she surrendered to the onslaught. His feather light kisses turned into that of needy but it was passionate. They both pulled apart in need of air and Lucy couldn't help but gaze into his dark orbs. How those eyes were filled with love and lust and passion. He was about to close their distance once again but stopped when a knock was heard.

"Come in," he granted permission when Lucy walked over to the armchair in front of him. He turned to the door as his sister came in followed by the king. They both stood up and bowed and Erza furrowed her brows and crossed her arms.

"Were we interrupting something?" she asked noticing their slightly swollen lips and albeit messed up hair and her guess became true when they both turned crimson.

"It seems we were." Jellal chuckled and Lucy shot him a confused look. Since when did his brother became so carefree and open around them? Of course, the answer was right beside him.

"A-are you the only couple allowed to enjoy some r-romance?" Natsu crossed his arms and gave a pout while the blush darkened even more.

"Aw, my baby brother has grown into a man." Erza walked over to him and ruffled his hair but the pout on his face still didn't go away. "Did you have breakfast?" she asked sitting beside him.

Natsu gazed into her eyes, his face becoming serious. He could see that she was trying her best not to cry or show any sort of weakness and he decided not to talk about his father or what happened to her anymore. "I think I need to fill up for a days' worth. I didn't eat anything at all yesterday." He sighed and his stomach grumbled in agreement. Both Lucy and Erza laughed while Jellal only smirked.

Three of them stood up to leave but Jellal stopped Lucy and told the other two to go on.

"Is something wrong, your highness?" Lucy turned to her brother when Erza and Natsu closed the door behind them and was in obvious shock when he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I hope you can forgive me, little sister?" he whispered and she could hear sincerity clearly in his voice. Is her brother back?

"Of course brother." She smiled as the tears fell on her cheeks and hugged him back.

"I haven't heard you calling me that in a while." He smiled at her and she saw her good old brother again. "I wonder if Sting and Wendy will forgive me."

"Yes they will. They are your family nonetheless. I'm sure they will." Lucy wanted to jump then and there and do a little dance but he was the king and she needs to respect him despite him being her brother.

"You can jump, Lucy." He chuckled at how her hands kept jerking up and almost lost his footing when she jumped up on him. He had missed this side of Lucy and he'd do anything to keep her happy and the rest of his family happy.

xxxxxxx

The breakfast was wonderful with all the royals and the Fullbuster family. Jellal felt his cheeks aching with all the smiling he did. He hasn't felt so happy in a long, long time. Not after his parents died.

Natsu was busy trying to cut the piece of meat on his plate trying his level best not to just take it with bare hands and eat it up like a hungry beast. He grinned widely when his hard work as achieved but it went flying away when he tried to take it to his mouth using the folk, right onto Lucy's cheek.

"Natsu! What are you doing?!" she asked her eyebrow twitching in irritation.

"Nothing! I was trying to eat that bloody thing!" he stabbed the last piece of meat and twisted it making a squeaking noise that made everyone's teeth to vibrate.

"Stop it, Natsu!" Gray yelled, his voice muffled by the napkin he shoved inside his mouth.

"Then, why don't you help me eat this thing?" Natsu yelled back not stopping his stabbing and cutting and Wendy could already feel her eyes tearing up and Sting drowned his glass water entirely to stop his teeth from falling.

"Stop it I said!" Gray lost his cool and threw his glass of water at the roseate who gasped for breath.

"Gray, you bastard! You picking a fight with me?" he wiped his face using a napkin and threw the contents of his breakfast at the raven haired man who dodged it easily.

"Are you trying to kill me?" the raven haired man yelled, momentarily forgetting about the others present in the room.

"You bet I am! I'm dying to kill you son of a bitch who actually had some balls to throw water at my pretty face." Natsu slammed his palms on the table making the foods jump out of the plates.

"These two are really getting on my nerves!" Laxus murmured trying to keep his anger at bay and Mira placed a warm hand on top of his clenched ones making him immediately cool down.

"We don't have to worry about that." Laxus looked at her in confusion and the white haired woman tilted her head to where the queen was seated. Her hands were shaking and eyebrows were twitching dangerously.

"Natsu! Stop it!" Lucy grabbed the collar of the salmon-haired man and forced him to sit on his chair but the man got up and walked over to the dark haired man who was being held back by Juvia who had a hard time holding her husband in her grip.

"Get back here, coward!" Gray growled and took off his coat when Juvia let go of him to catch her breath.

"What did you call me stripper?!" Natsu demanded and Lucy lost her hold on him and Natsu lunged at Gray who was ready for the attack and he too, ran towards the roseate in order to attack him. But neither of their punches was reached nor did they receive any. In between them was a red haired woman who was holding out both their fists with an annoyed look on her face.

"Are you going to fight again?" she asked and twisted their arms to the other side making the two men cry in pain.

"No! We were wrong." Gray sat on his knees and bowed.

"We're sorry." Natsu did the same. All the occupants, except for Erza burst out laughing silently wondering just how scary the queen was for them to act that way with only a single word uttered from her mouth.

* * *

The day was unusually peaceful after the horrible accidents that happened the other day. Ultear sat on the window pane of her room, wondering about the incidents that happened recently. Magnolia, the strongest village in the country is now gone. And if the enemy was working in a sequence, hers would be next. Because her village was the second most powerful independent village in Fiore. She had stayed at the palace for too long. What if the enemy attacks her village, the Snow village next? Only the councilors were the people who have been running the village in hers and Gray's absence. But she couldn't leave the palace when all those weddings were happening. And especially when her closest friend's wedding was taking place. But her village needs her too.

"Is something bothering you, sister-in-law?" Juvia's soft voice compelled her to turn her head towards the room.

"No, nothing, Juvia." She shook her head and sent her a small smile.

"Ultear…" Juvia spoke in a warning tone, knowing that the dark haired woman was not thinking about nothing. "What is it?" she asked again when the woman failed to give an answer for her warning and Ultear let out a long sigh.

"Juvia…" she began in a serious tone. "Don't you think we have stayed here for too long?" she turned to face her brother's wife, her back to the setting sun.

"Juvia thinks so too, but Erza and Natsu need us here. Natsu will need Gray-sama in his hardest times though he won't admit it. They both were for you both when you were suffering." Juvia spoke softly, taking a seat beside her on the couch beside the window.

"I know that but our village needs us too. What if the enemy attacks?" she let her thoughts out freely. It was becoming hard to keep it contained in her mind.

"Even if we were there when the enemy attacks, do you think we will win against them? Erza said it was sorcery and how are we supposed to beat them without magic?" Juvia knew how Ultear felt. She too, wanted to go home.

"But don't you think the villagers will feel at ease knowing that we're with them." Ultear tried to sound strong but she could feel her strength weakening at the thought of her village being exterminated and her, standing at the side unable to do anything to save her fellow villagers.

"We'll talk to Gray-sama about that tomorrow. Why don't you get some rest, sister-in-law? It's dark now." Juvia stood up and gave a pat on her back.

"Yeah, you too get some rest Juvia." She smiled at the woman and walked over to her bed when Juvia walked out of her room.

Ultear sat beside her dressing table, combing her hair slowly as she stared off at the mirror with her mind occupied with thoughts. Keeping the brush softly on the table, she took off her night robe, revealing a pair of black leggings tucked into a pair of leather boots and a long sleeved shirt with a turtle neck. Tying her hair into a high bun, she put on a pair of gloves and began to take off the sheets of her bed. Tying all of them together, she tied one end to one of the legs of the bed and the other around her waist. Taking out her inky cape she covered her head with the hood and jumped out of the window, climbing down the wall expertly and quickly so that her chances of getting caught would be less. There was no way she'd be able to go out through the front door when the security was tight all through the castle. She was going to go back and she wasn't going to regret it. Even if it means a certain death, she'd go and fight for her people. Sure, she loved her brother but a hundred cannot be compared to one. Gray was special and the only person who shares the same blood with her. But she needs to save, at least fight for her village. She'd die trying rather than stay alive doing nothing.

_I love you, everyone…_

_xxxxxxxxx_

The next morning Gray ran off as fast as he could towards the throne room after finding that his sister had done the stupidest thing in the world when he went to take her to a walk, like they used to. He felt his surroundings slow down as he ran breathlessly towards the middle wing of the large palace. Why didn't the thought that she might run off to the village like that crossed his mind when Juvia told him about their conversation the previous night.

The royal family excluding Wendy who were at the throne room, looked up when the large doors opened without warning only to find Earl Gray bent on his knees, panting like there was no enough oxygen in the room.

"What happened, Gray?" Erza asked walking over to him. The said man exhaled loudly and walked over to his friend.

"Your Highness!" Gray was about to inform them when a soldier interrupted him. "Our patrols from the south said that the Snow Village is under attack." He informed breathlessly. "By samurais."

Gray felt his world spinning in a rapid speed making him fall on the floor. _Tell me I heard wrong!_

"Tell me that's not true!" he shouted from the top of his voice, hot tears rolling down his face mercilessly.

"Gray…" Erza best down and raised Gray to his feet. "Be brave. We've got to face this strongly." She spoke softly knowing that it won't help him. She knew exactly what he was feeling right now.

"My sister…." He spoke up wiping the tears off but it kept falling. "Ultear…."

"What happened?" It was Jellal who spoke up.

"She left last night."

* * *

**So? How was it? Good? bad? Please please read and review! That motivates me! And thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews! I love you all!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N; gomen gomen minna-san! I am so so so late! I was so busy and I caught fever on top of it hence this long agonizing delay. I'm such a horrible writer right?! Awwn, gomen! Anyways now that the new chapter is up,**

**Enjoy!**

**Character alert! Introducing our…..Read and find out! Haha!**

* * *

Senshi no seishin

Chapter-8

* * *

A squad of four was sent to search for the countess while Gray and Juvia were ordered not to leave the castle grounds except from orders by the king himself. It was already noon and there was no news of his sister yet and Jellal had sent a group to check on the Snow Village though there was no hope that there'd be anyone left alive.

"Gray-sama…" Juvia called to her husband who was sitting on an armchair in their room. "…Juvia thinks…you should read this." she handed him a paper and Gray took it from her without a word while Juvia sat beside him on the arm rest.

_Dear brother,_

_I love you. You already know that but I just felt like saying that. I'm going back to see if our home was doing ok. I don't know if I can guarantee my return. But you can't follow me here if the enemy attacks. We already know what they're capable of, don't we? Now I wouldn't be happy if you give up your life by trying to find me. There's too much you need to do yet. So you can't die, understood? That's an order! Don't follow me. I am so glad to be your big sister._

_Live, brother. And save the rest from the monsters._

_Love, Ultear, Your foolish big sister._

"You idiot…." Gray crumbled the piece of paper and tore it to tiny pieces before throwing it into the fireplace. How could she? How could she leave him behind like this? She was a good fighter alright but she won't be able beat the invincible enemy.

"GODDAMNIT!" Gray lost his cool and sent the stool beside him flying into the air and broke when it hit the ground.

"Gray-sama! You need to calm down!" Juvia placed a hand on his shoulder but he shoved it away really roughly. Juvia could feel her arm aching with the force and she felt her eyes stinging. She'd never seen her husband so angry and so out of character.

"Get your act together bastard!" and before she could say or do anything, Natsu stormed in and had Gray pinned to the wall holding his collar within his tightly clenched fingers. "We already lost enough loved ones as it is. You're not the only person suffering."

"Oh yeah?" Gray raised a brow and pushed Natsu's hands away and punched his jaw. "Don't tell me what to do." He stated calmly.

"Some nerve you got there!" Natsu wiped the blood off from the corner of his mouth and landed a blow to Gray's gut.

"Both of you stop it!" Juvia screamed but none of them heard her. Even if they did, they didn't care about her right now. All they want to do right now was rip each other's head off.

XXXX

Ultear stopped in the middle of a forest and tied the reins of her horse to a nearby tree before walking over to the river to gather some water. Sighing, she flopped down on the riverbed and began gulping down the water in her flask. She was too preoccupied with drinking water that she failed to notice the man coming behind her with a broken branch in his hand while the other on the hilt of his sheathed sword. Having a feeling that someone was around her, Ultear reached for the sword beside her but before she could take it out, the person hit her head with the thick branch, immediately knocking her unconscious.

XXXX

"What the hell were you both…" Erza glared at the two men in front of her. "…idiots thinking?!" she shouted at their bloodied faces. Natsu and Gray lowered their gazes without saying a word. "You both are hopeless." Erza spoke again. "Look at you! We're in the middle of a huge crisis and we never know when we will be in need of some limbs to keep us alive even for a minute." She groaned and left the room cussing under her breath. There was no point in punching their already bruised bodies.

Erza walked into her room and flopped on the armchair in front of the fireplace. Her head felt like it would explode anytime now. Just what the hell was happening these days? It was as if someone was trying to torture her. As if fate wants to punish her. But for what? What has she done for someone to punish her this badly? Is it for being the reason why everyone around her gets killed? Well, it wasn't like she asked for it. It wasn't like she wanted that to happen. Then why? First, it was her home. Her family. And then her foster home, her foster father. And now, her best friend. What the hell was she thinking?

"My queen." She opened her eyes to see a green haired maid standing beside her with a tray of food in it. That's right. She hasn't eaten a thing today yet and it was already afternoon. "Please have your meal." She said kindly and put the tray down on the table.

"Who are you?" Erza asked when the maid turned to leave.

"Excuse me, my queen?" the maid turned back in confusion.

"What's your name?" she turned to look at her and realized that the maid was beautiful enough to be a princess.

"It's Bisca, your highness. Bisca Connell." Bisca smiled, bowing lightly. "I'm your lady-in-waiting."

"Speak with me, Bisca." The queen spoke in a weak tone and gestured her to sit. Bisca nodded and took a seat in the next armchair.

"What do you do?" Erza decided to start up a conversation.

"I'm a maid. Has been ever since I was fifteen. I served the previous queen too." Bisca answered honestly.

"What about your family?" Erza began eating the food Bisca brought her.

"I grew up as an orphan. I-I don't know who my parents are…" she paused and lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to." Erza felt guilty for reminding her of her parentless past.

"It's ok. I've…I've got a family of my own now. I have a baby girl and a husband." Bisca said softly, her face breaking into a small smile and Erza found herself smiling too. "My husband is a knight in the royal militia."

"What's his name?"

"Alzack. Alzack Connell."

"The king…" Erza turned to face her after finishing half of her meal. "…told me that he's a good warrior when I was going through the rankings of the army." Bisca smiled a thanks. "What about your daughter? What's her name?"

"Asuka-chan. She's five years old." Bisca couldn't help but grin at the mention of her beautiful daughter.

"You've got a beautiful family, Bisca. I hope to meet them one day." Erza smiled at her head maid.

"Thank you milady." the green haired woman bowed and left the chambers holding the tray in her hands with a light smile on her pretty face. _I can understand now, why everyone has been talking how you are like the late queen, my lady. His highness is truly lucky to have found you._

Natsu sat on the balcony railing in his room, watching the sun set with his feet out into the air. He wasn't the only one at fault. Gray needn't to be so cold towards Juvia even if he was angry. He should learn to control his emotions. Can't he see that he wasn't the only one who's lost loved ones? Everybody has. But no one has lost their cool and destroyed stuffs.

"You look like Rapunzel." He commented when he saw Lucy coming towards him wearing a gold dress.

"Ha ha very funny." She replied sarcastically and forced the roseate to face her. Keeping the first aid box on the railing, she picked out some alcohol and began cleaning Natsu's wounds. "You both are the biggest idiots I've seen in my entire life!" the blonde princess screamed at his face and Natsu blinked.

"Why are you so angry?" he asked innocently and Lucy groaned.

"I think I understand now how sister-in-law feels." Natsu was about to say something in his defense when a maid came running towards them.

"Your highness Princess Lucy, Lord Natsu!" she bowed in respect.

"What is it?" Lucy asked impatiently and Natsu climbed back inside.

"The countess…they found the countess."

Without wasting another moment, Natsu and Lucy ran to the infirmary, according to the maid where the countess was. They didn't know what to do. Yell at her or get worried. Maybe both would be fine. After a minute or two, the couple came to the infirmary where the king and queen and the Fullbuster couple were already hovering over the dark haired woman.

"Is she hurt?" Lucy asked as she got inside and Natsu closed the door behind him taking a note of a dark haired man standing beside Prince Sting.

"No, except a bump on the head where Rogue hit." The young prince answered for her sister.

"Thank goodness." Lucy heaved a sigh in relief.

"But how did you find her?" Gray asked the ebony haired knight.

"I was coming back from the Snow village when I heard a horse. I stayed quiet to observe who was coming and found her riding towards the village and when she stopped to get some water I hit her on the head so that she'd be unconscious. I'm sorry Earl Fullbuster." Rogue bowed in apology.

"Don't. You did the right thing." Gray replied feeling relief that his sister was brought back unharmed and safe.

Ultear opened her eyes with a loud cough and sat up straight abruptly with her eyes wide. She looked even confused when she saw her brother and others surrounding her.

"W-where am I?" she asked to assure herself that what she was seeing was real.

"Nice try escaping, countess-sama." Erza ignored her question and spoke in a very rude manner.

"W-what….how? How did you find me?" the countess asked lowering her head.

"We have our own ways, Ultear." Everybody stood silent when the queen began talking, including Jellal. "Tell me…what were you thinking?" she tried to show anger on her face but she knew that wasn't the expression she had on. She was more worried.

"I-I'm sorry." The dark haired woman lowered her gaze to her lap. "I just…I just wanted to be by my people…"

"I do under-"

"Your village is no more, Countess. It's gone and if you were there when the attack happened I don't think I'd be able to stand these people's whining." Jellal cut Erza off rudely and the occupants turned to gaze at him. "Do you have any idea how dangerous what you did was?!" his voice grew louder. "I know you all love your villages but you need to be strong and face what is coming!"

"I'm sorry my lord. I-I wasn't thinking straight."

"We have a meeting with the council in thirty minutes. You are needed there as a former village leader." He walked out of the infirmary without giving any of the occupants a glance. Erza included.

The red haired queen followed her king after giving a nod to the others. His footsteps were quick and Erza almost had to run to catch up to him. She followed him to their room and closed the door behind her and Jellal flopped down on the bed with a loud sigh. He must be pretty stressed about what's happening right now.

"What do I do?" he asked more to himself than to Erza who was standing beside the bed. With a sigh, the red haired queen sat on the edge of the bed and stared at him for a minute or so before speaking.

"_Protect."_ She said softly and Jellal turned his head to a side to meet her gaze. Seeing that he didn't quite understood what she said, Erza decided to clarify

"Everything will have its eventual end, Jellal. Who knows how long this will go on? But at some point this all will end. And I want us to be standing after all that. I want our family…this kingdom to remain through this. So..." she looked at his emerald eyes she had begun to grow fond of but haven't yet wanted to admit. "…protect what you think you should protect."

"Why me?" he asked sitting up. "Why do _I _have to protect?"

"Because you're the leader." She replied simply.

Jellal looked at his wife. She just knew how to make him feel alright again. Yes, sure, he had made the right choice in making her his wife. She was a leader. She was a guide. She was a streak of light. She was everything that fills up his world. So yes, he needed to protect. He will do it and come back to her. Yeah, this time he will protect, instead of destroying.

A soft gasp escaped her mouth when her husband pulled her into a hug and she could feel blood rising up to her face. Despite their hot make out sessions, Erza didn't know why such little gestures made her cheeks burn and butterflies flutter all over her stomach.

"Thank you." He whispered into her hair and gave a slight peck on her earlobe and Erza finally returned the gesture.

XXXX

The royal council members, the old king, the newly appointed king, the new queen, the ex-village heads and the chief commanding officer, were all seated behind a large mahogany desk with grave expression on their faces. King Makarov cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention and all the occupants turned their heads to look at him.

"About the incidents that occurred recently…" he looked towards Jellal and nodded. "…I have decided to take legal actions against those who dared to hurt _my_ kingdom." Whispers and murmurs filled the room but the old king raised a hand to silence them. "We go to war." He declared.

"But sire, we don't even know anything about the enemy." One of the council members spoke up.

"It's true, your highness." Another one agreed. "The enemy has wiped two of our strongest villages whole clean."

"How can we possibly go to war with this level of people?" more oppositions rose in the room.

"We're all going to die without a trace."

"We're going to die either way." Laxus spoke up, dominating the room. He was, after all, the commanding officer. "If we fight, we die and if we don't and hide here, they kill us. So we die either way." He narrowed his eyes at the council members and they began to clear their throats and looked away. "And we are _not_ going down without a fight." The blonde officer said strongly.

"I agree." Jellal raised his hand in agreement and some looked at him in surprise while others had an I-expected-him-to-say-that look on their faces. "Going to war is the best option for us."

"I agree." Erza raised her hand and held it down.

"My queen!" some protested and others rose from their seats.

"This is ridiculous! Why do I feel that the royal family wants this kingdom gone?"

"Gran doma! What nonsense are you spouting?!" king Makarov demanded.

"The enemy is invincible, for god's sake!" he shouted standing up and slamming his fists down on the table and other members nodded in agreement. "They use sorcery, your highnesses. We cannot possibly beat them with something that was banned from the world ages ago!"

"Yes, we can." Jellal countered back firmly.

"Well, yes we could if his highness didn't exterminate a whole village with an excuse as pathetic as extending the country border." Gran doma glared at the blue haired king.

King Makarov let out a long sigh and rubbed his temple. He should have known that they would bring that topic one way or another. It always happened at every meeting. And now Jellal is angry.

"You have no right to blame me for that." Jellal gritted his teeth and glared dangerously at the old council member while other members turned away from his menacing glare.

"If you hadn't ag-" he started to get up but looked down when something soft touched the back of his hand.

"Let's not do this right now." Erza said softly and Jellal's eyes softened. He intertwined his fingers with hers under the table and began in a calmer tone.

"We don't have any other choice. We can't afford to lose any more of our villages. This kingdom isn't known for cowardice. We are famous for power." Jellal looked at everyone in their eye. "We can fight through this. And even if we can't, we aren't going down without a fight." He repeated Laxus's words and the blonde officer nodded.

"I approve for war." Ultear raised her hand. "We can't stand by and do nothing anymore." Jellal nodded at her and Erza sent the dark haired woman a small smirk.

One by one, the council members began to approve except for Gran Doma. Something must have worked its magic on them for them to give in so easily. But it was good, since the approval for an all-out war has been given. It's time to pay the enemy back for what they had done. Payback tenfold. No, hundredfold.

Mira, Lucy, Juvia were pacing back and forth in the throne room while the meeting went on and Wendy sat on a chair, her face giving off how much worried she was when the women in front of her couldn't sit still.

"What do you think happened?" Mira asked in a low voice, biting her fingernails.

"I don't know." Both Juvia and Lucy replied at once.

The doors opened and the four ladies jerked their heads immediately and found Mira's little sister and brother walking in, clad in their armors.

"Mira-nee…" Lissanna began in a serious tone she rarely used. "You're needed at the base."

"Why?" Mira asked. "I don't work at the military anymore." She said slowly trying to contain the grave feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"We're going to war." Elfman announced. The ladies, except for Mira gasped.

"_They_ approved?" Mira asked. "The council passed the proposition of war?" both Lissanna and Elfman nodded.

"The chief commanding officer seeks your presence, General Mira-Jane." Lissanna bowed her head at her superior, all sibling feels put aside.

Mira walked down the hallway and climbed the stairs down to the front yard and walked over to the training base where shouts could be heard long before she could reach the doors. All the soldiers stopped their work and bowed their head in respect when the ivory-haired general walked in.

Bending her head only a little in respect to all the greetings, she walked past all the training grounds and in to the personal base of the commanding officer.

"Laxus." She called and the said man turned to look at her.

"Fill me in." she demanded in a voice that was definitely not used between husband and wife but between two soldiers.

"We go to war with the enemy." He said simply.

"I know that much." Mira snapped as she began to get impatient.

Sighing, Laxus picked out a giant map of Fiore and placed it on the table beside his locker. He pinned blades on the spots where they had noticed enemy actions. Two villages gone whole. Nothing remaining, except for the shattered houses and corpses.

"We haven't had any disturbance from them for quite a while now." Mira mumbled and nodded.

"That's we don't know how to attack them. We don't know where they hide. It's going to be difficult. But it's worth a try, isn't it?" Laxus spoke, his eyes glued on the map but Mira saw that he wasn't looking at the map. He had a much distant look in his eyes.

"Hey." She said softly, placing a hand on his. "We can get through this ok?" she sent him a small smile.

It was refreshing. Her smile. It was enough for him to hope for better. That's what he loved about her. She calmed people down. She cared about her family, the people she loves to her bones. And she cut down her enemy with that one smile. After all, she wasn't called the 'devil' for no reason.

Nodding, he sent her a small smile of his, returning her affectionate gesture.

There was a knock on the door and king Jellal walked in, followed by the red haired queen, countess Ultear, Earl Gray and his wife, Princess Lucy and prince Sting. They all sat beside the table and a little while later, Natsu walked in.

"Let's plan." Jellal was the first one to break the silence that fell upon them.

"We have no idea where to start." Mira said in disappointed tone. Never in her life had she seen something so annoying in the middle of war as to how to attack and enemy when their whereabouts and unknown.

"How about we send a spy?" Gray spoke up.

"Wouldn't they figure it out right away?" Juvia said. "They use magic." The others nodded.

"If we knew there location, we might be able to ambush them. But we don't even know where they even come from." Erza spoke up next. "And we don't even know if there is only one or more-"

_-so foolish_

She stopped in mid-sentence. There it was again. That whispering. But this time it was a bit clear.

"What's wrong?" Jellal asked. Everybody studied her confused expression.

"I-It's nothing." She dismissed the thought and quickly regained her serious composure. "As I was saying, we don't know if there is only one person who uses sorcery and if we act care-"

_"Shut up! They might here you!"_

_"As if! They can't even see us!"_

Okay, now she definitely heard it. Loud and clear.

"I _know_ something is wrong." Natsu said matter-of-factly.

"Erza…" Ultear called softly, placing a hand on hers.

"Do me a favor and go on with discussions." She demanded with her eyes narrowed.

Everyone scrutinized her. There was something she isn't telling. She knows something they don't.

"Please." She closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

They wanted to ask but the expression on her face made them decide otherwise.

"How about we wait at the village they're going to attack next?" Natsu caught on what was happening with his sister. After all, he was the only one among everyone who knew who Erza actually was.

Everyone else at the room though, looked at him like he had finally gone mad. Natsu only shrugged.

"We might be able to surprise them, you know, like attack from behind. Make up an ambush plan."

Laxus's eyebrows twitched in irritation. Jellal looked like he was about to snap and Gray's nostrils flared from containing his anger for too long. Lucy and Juvia restrained themselves from face-palming. Ultear only sighed and a dark aura emitted from Mira making Lucy gulp but Natsu didn't care.

"That's not bad idea, Natsu." Erza agreed picking on that her dense brother, unexpectedly, out of all the people who actually use their brain caught on what she was talking about and the other occupants looked at her like she was the next one who went crazy as they gaped at her, eyebrows raised.

A conversation, more like an argument began among them and Erza thanked upwards for that. She concentrated on the whispers she heard from before.

_"See? Nothing can be as stupid as humans." _She heard a voice that sounded like a man's but at the same it sounded like a woman's.

_"Whatever. As long as they don't hear and see us, I don't care what you do, Big." _There was another voice. One that sounded serious and Erza concluded that there were at least two people whom she couldn't see in the room with them. She wasn't sure if they were even in the room. Their voices seemed to come from a distance.

_"Gruff, why can't I enter?"_ the person or more like the _thing_ whom Erza suspected was _Big_ said and she heard something hit against the door to Laxus's training room.

She fidgeted in her seat making sure that no one noticed but despite the hot argument that was going on Natsu caught that little movement.

She wasn't going to say that she _wasn't_ scared. She was. Not much but nonetheless, scared. It's not every day you hear something invisible sneaking around your house, lurking right under your nose. It was creepy alright?

_"Didn't Akira-sama say that we could go through anything and everything?" _the same voice spoke again.

_Akira? _Erza didn't know why the name sounded so familiar. She felt like she knew the person but couldn't quite put on her finger to where and how.

_"Idiot! It's because you're a knucklehead." _The other one said and Erza heard another thud on the door thought it went unheard to all other ears. Erza suspected that the thud she was hearing was _its_ attempts to enter the base they were in.

But, what she didn't know was _why_ they couldn't. According to what Big had said earlier, they wear creatures that are able to walk through anything and yet they couldn't walk through the wooden door that concealed their appearance to her.

And then there was another blow on the door. A very loud one that made Erza jump on her feet, her heart pounding so hard she felt like that it might beat its way out of her body.

The argument stopped and everyone looked at the queen. They gulped when they saw her clenched fists and slightly, almost invisible tremble of her lips.

"I need some water." She mumbled and the royals barely caught what she said and watched her leave in a hurry.

Erza stopped right in front of the door and opened the door real quickly making the others raise an eyebrow at her behavior but Natsu watched her very intently.

She raised her head in expectation of something gruesome but her eyes felt like it would pop out of their sockets.

In front of her, there was….

…nothing.

She could swear that she heard them there. Right outside the door. But the moment she appeared at the door, they disappeared. It was if they disappeared because of _her._ But why?

XXXX

There was a loud howl in the dethroned prince's lair. The people who were working at making weapons stopped abruptly, their heart racing fast at the gruesome voice that echoed throughout the underground base.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the dark haired sorceress demanded coming out of the drapes that covered the entrance of her room.

"My lady…" Gruff growled clutching his head.

Akira looked at them in confusion, both of them grasping their heads as if trying to get something out. The creature with dark skin, stick thin, both eyes in different color with thorns on their shoulders, spiky hair falling down to their mid-back screamed once again and Akira winced.

She touched both of them on their heads and they both fell limp on the ground. Heaving a sigh, she called to some guards, samurai guards to take them inside her chambers with confusion evident in her eyes. She walked after the guards and sat on the edge of her bed, arms and legs crossed.

She had sent both of them whom she _created_ to spy to the royal palace. She had ordered them to extract information and she was dying of curiosity. And what happened to them was something she hadn't seen before. Shaking her head, she waited patiently until her puppets woke up.

XXXX

It was dark when Erza walked back into the castle after a walk at the garden. She walked at a slow pace, her mind wholly thinking about what happened earlier that day.

"Where have you been?!" she heard Jellal's angry voice outside the hallway to their room.

Upon, lifting her head up, she saw Sting and the black haired man from before, head bowed in front of the angry king.

"We were out hunting." Sting replied in a low voice, his head still hung low.

"Hunting?!" Jellal repeated, bewildered. "Are you really stupid or was it that you didn't know that this castle itself is dangerous right now?" he growled out through gritted teeth.

Sting looked up but didn't meet Jellal's eye.

"I know your highness. I just didn't want to think about it." He replied. "Honestly, I was scared."

"Well then you should be terrified. We have declared war against them." the young monarch spat.

"War?" Sting looked at his brother, alarmed.

"Rogue, don't let him out of the castle grounds without my permission." Jellal ignored the prince's question and his confused gaze and ordered the dark-haired bodyguard next to him before storming into his room.

Sting turned around when a hand touched his shoulder and met with the warm auburn eyes of his dearest sister-in-law.

"My queen." Rogue bowed and Erza sent him a little smile.

"He didn't mean it, Sting." She spoke to the blonde prince. "He's just tired and losing his cool."

"Yeah, I understand." Sting gave a weak smile. "But war? I heard the enemy uses magic."

Erza nodded. "Let's talk tomorrow. Tomorrow ok?"

He could see the fatigue and stress in her eyes. She could barely keep her eyes open. Nodding once, Sting gave her a hug which the queen returned at once with a light pat on his back, before retreating to his quarters.

Erza walked into her room and saw Jellal drying his hair after a shower. Well, that was fast. Without a word, Erza walked into the bathroom and took a long, nice bath before climbing up the bed, lying next to her husband who wrapped his strong arms around her, bringing her close.

"Ready for tomorrow's event?" he mumbled into her hair and Erza nodded. She was way too tired to even utter a word. All that thinking had rendered her exhausted.

Tomorrow, her brother, her best friend and her brother will be standing next to her forever. Right beside her, throughout the years that is to come.

XXXX

"Explain!" Akira demanded to the two servants that were bowing down at her feet.

"Please forgive us! We have failed you my lady. Give us the punishment we deserve." Big cried loudly and sniffed.

"Just…" the witch gritted her teeth. "…tell me what happened."

"We…" the terrified looking Gruff began. "We were standing outside the door to the chief commanding officer's training room and listening to them discuss about their plan to attack us. And…and…" he trailed off; beads off sweats formed on his forehead and fell down in the color of yellow.

"And?!" Akira snapped.

"And Big tried to enter through the door but he only hit the door and fell back." The ugly creature said in one breath.

"What? You couldn't go through one wooden door?" Akira slowly got up from her chair and both of them began to shake uncontrollably.

"No, Akira-sama. Neither of us c-c-could go th-th-through."

"WHY?!" she roared, her voice echoing through the halls.

"W-w-w-we don't know, my lady." Big spoke with all the courage he could muster. "And then we heard someone come and then we felt like our heads were on fire. Like….like someone spilled acid on our heads." Both of them looked confused.

"Our heads were burning." Gruff mumbled looking down.

Akira narrowed her eyes. She was the only sorcerer alive in the whole world. She saw the only remaining and the most powerful bloodline massacred right before her eyes. But why would her dark creatures, so powerful and so mighty will come crawling back when she was the only person who had an effect on them? Why, when she was the one who created them?

She turned back to her two loyal servants and her bright blue eyes glowed. And then there was a bloodcurdling howl. Gruff's and Big's bones began crushing and their form began to change while Akira watched the scene unfold with a sadistic smirk on her face.

Yes, they should be scared of her. They will fear her. The king, dared to take everything away from her. She was robbed in perfect daylight. Robbed of everything. Her home, her life, her love. The life she had always longed for. And the moment she got it, _he_ took it away.

_Just you wait and watch._ The memories of her most terrible moments played in front of her eyes as the two creatures' bodies began to intertwine to form the body, tail and back legs that of a lion and their heads turning into an eagle's and an eagle's talons as the front legs. With another howl, two pair of wings that belong to an eagle grew out of its back, turning Gruff and Big into a full grown…. _Griffin._

XXXX

The morning began in a cheer. The birds were all singing merrily and running around the sky as free as they were the moment they were born. The scent of flowers filled the morning air and it was definitely one of the best signatures of Fiore. Yes, the flower kingdom. People were chatting merrily with each other as they busied themselves with work they do on a regular basis. Children were playing and chasing each other around the streets of Crocus while teenagers flirted with people of their age, boys giving flower headbands to the opposite gender who giggled in appreciation. Girls walked in groups, flower baskets in their hands. Men and young boys sparred with each other.

The throne room of the royal palace was filled with the soldiers, knights first and down in line to foot soldiers.

Natsu, Gray and Ultear stood in a line before the azure-haired king and the scarlet haired queen who stood a few feet behind. They wore the royal armor of the most expensive leather and their pants tucked into ebony boots with their hands gloved and a long blue cape flowing from their shoulders, with the kingdom's crest embroidered in silver.

Ultear's hair was tied in high bun as she gazed at the king with pride and confidence.

"My lord. My queen." The three said at once and bowed their heads before kneeling down on one knee, their fists balled and resting easily on the marble floor and the other hand on their knees as they lowered their heads.

"Do you, Sir Dragneel, Sir Fullbuster and Lady Ultear agree to remain loyal to me and to this kingdom and obey every rule I command without hesitation?" the young king, with his hands clasped behind his back spoke, standing upright.

"Yes, my lord." The three replied.

"Do you also agree that shown any sign of treachery, you will be beheaded?"

"Yes, my lord." The trio replied in a strong voice.

A servant came with a salver, where three swords were kept. Three, forged with the lightest and strongest metal and the sharpest blades with the kingdom's crest engraved on it.

"Then I command you to arise…" the king spoke, taking one of the swords. "Sir Natsu Dragneel, knight of Fiore." The king placed the sword horizontally on his shoulders then moved to the next and Natsu stood up. King Jellal placed the sword flat on his hands and the newly appointed knight grabbed its hilt protected with leather and brought it close to him before bowing to him.

"Arise, Sir Gray Fullbuster." He followed the same procedure as Natsu.

"Arise, Lady Ultear Milkovich Fullbuster." The same went with the dark haired lady.

"Long Live Fiore." The King said in a strong voice, arms spread wide.

"Long live Fiore." The occupants chanted.

"Long live Fiore." The royals chanted.

And then there was a loud wail and the sound of something crashing down followed by the macabre howl from before and the sound of people screaming. King Jellal and the newly appointed knights except for Ultear, who remained, ran out the door, Jellal giving the order to soldiers and knights.

"Soldiers! Remain here and protect the castle. Sir Redfox, Sir Connell, Sting! Follow me!" he ordered.

"General Mira!" Laxus called as he sped out the throne room, following behind the king. "Get the army on standby."

Mira nodded and ran down the hall.

When the knights, commanding officer and the king and his brother came to the front yard of the castle, their eyes looked as big as saucers and their hold on the swords tightened unconsciously. The fountain was shattered with the water splashing everywhere. But that was the last thing on their mind.

What drew their attention was the _thing_ standing on the main gates of the castle.

Body, tail and back legs of a lion. Head and wings of an eagle and an eagle's talons as front legs.

"Holy ancestors!" Gray exclaimed

"What in the holy dragon's name is that?!" Natsu pointed his sword at the monster and the black creature yowled wagging its tail dangerously as it leaned forward, eyes squinted, ready to attack.

"Gentlemen, that thing is called…" Laxus smirked as he twirled his sword, knees bent, ready to defend.

"A Griffin." A grumpy voice finished for the blonde officer and the others could hear amusement in it.

But it wasn't the time to question anybody anything. It was time to save their lives as the angry creature howled flying forward to the group who was ready to defend their home.

* * *

**A/N; So? Liked much? I just couldn't kill Ultear. Man, how I miss her in the mange. Anyways, forgive me all the mistakes you see in this chapter. There was no beta-reading done for this story or any another story of mine and there will be a huge embarrassing number of mistakes. Forgive me ne? I hope you liked this chapter.**

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! ^.^ You kind people!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N; okay so, a quicker update than the last one! There are a lot of interesting stuffs in this chapter. Read and find out on your own, I'm not telling you chums anything. Do I sound heartless? Because I was trying to and you'd know how heartless I actually am when you read this chapter. Lol!**

**Enjoy!**

**Halt! To those who reviewed, followed and favorite(d); ARIGATOUGOZAIMASU! *bows on hips* ahaha!**

**Nokiyoh682- well, all I saw were mistakes but thanks for saying that. I felt confident!**

**I haven't said this in my previous update and I wanted to kill myself!**

**Sarah scarletxX- gomen ._. I didn't even thank you when you wished me happy birthday! I hope you don't feel bad! . thanks a bunch!**

**And thank you for being so kind, I'm all good and running around, no signs of fever. Yay! So expect another update pretty soon. I really love you all! **

**Off you go! Shoo!**

**P.S- lovey-dovey Alert!**

* * *

Senshi no seishin

Chapter-9

* * *

Erza ran out of the throne room despite the protests from her family members and the guards. She stopped in front of the window that out looked the front yard. Her heart stopped beating for a good minute at the sight she saw. Her husband, her brother, her friend and the other respected knights were facing a giant beast. It was bigger than a full grown horse. Who in their right mind would send something as horrible as that?!

She exhaled loudly to calm her erratic heart beating. She knew she'd seen that beast somewhere before. Erza closed her eyes as she dug her mind as to where she had seen that. Her eyes snapped open as she remembered, as clear as day. When her village was still standing, her mother had forced her to read a book on mythical creatures. That's right! It was the sorceress she had seen earlier in her mind who had done this. Before she could register what she was doing, she was running down to the next wing, towards the armory.

Days ago, when she had been roaming around the palace she'd noticed a small door behind the spear closet in the armory. And if she read right then that book her mother gave her to read said that creatures like that could be weakened using silver. Those made of darkness fall prey for silver easily and that was their weakness. If she could find anything that was made out of silver then she might be able to help the men down there.

Her walk to the armory was quite quick, despite her long dress and the heavy tiara on her head. She quickly passed the royal training room and opened a wooden door that led into the spears closet. She moved some out of the way and revealed another wooden door, not larger than her in height. Without hesitating she opened the door and was immediately met with dust and spider webs. The red haired queen coughed lightly and swept the webs aside and jerked around when she heard the bloodcurdling howl of that beast. Regaining her composure, the young queen turned to the weapons that were in the room. Her eyes roamed over the long arrows with the tip of it made out of _silver_. She quickly grabbed the pack where there were twelve of them and a bow, one larger than that of those she uses for hunting.

Hoping that those she had in hand would be enough of help, Erza ran out of the armory and into the staircase that led to the north tower. Once opening the small door that led out of the tower, she saw that the guards on duty at the bridge between the north and south tower weren't there. Of course they won't be there with the beast hovering right above them. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she slowly put the bow and arrow pack down and reached for her head to take the crown off but halted when she heard something breathing right above her. Not making much noise, she raised her head so that she could see what was up at the rooftop of the tower. Her eyes widened at the black tail of the griffin and she was barely able to duck as it wiggled it. She waited until it flew off to somewhere before again, reaching to take her crown off. She then took out a dagger from the shin-high boots and ripped her chiffon dress to her knees.

Slowly placing the dagger back in place, she tied her hair into a high bun and grabbed the bow and arrow pack and climbed on the triangular roof. She could see the whole palace and most of Crocus but that wasn't something she could really venerate right now. Spotting the griffin on the broken fountain and the others with shields above their heads, swords raised, ready to attack. She could feel pride welling up at the bottom of her heart of for her men's bravery. She positioned herself on the roof until she was comfortable to attack.

Erza drew out a wooden arrow with the tip in silver and put the pack on her back and aimed the arrow at the beast. She closed one eye and positioned the bow and arrow where she wants to hit and let go of the arrow and it traveled in a fast pace, cutting through the wind and hit the griffin right at the side of its belly.

Jellal and his men lowered their shields when they saw the arrow hit and the beast let out an ear piercing howl though the men could care less about it as they wondered who could have thrown at such perfect aim and what astonished them more was the fact that _that_ arrow pierced through it when none of their weapons, be it spears or arrows or even swords in Laxus's and Natsu's case, it ended broken when met with the griffin's skin.

Jellal followed the direction where the arrow came from and his eyes landed on the red haired figure on the north tower rooftop. His eyes felt like it would bulge out of their sockets as he recognized the hair. No matter how far she was, he'd still know who those tresses belonged to.

"Erza!" he shouted and the others turned to face where the king was looking at.

"You wanna die Erza?!" Natsu screamed, his heart skipping about three beats when he found where his sister was.

"Man, she's gonna give me a heart attack one of these days." Gray felt Goosebumps all over his body just by looking at the height.

Laxus was about to say something when the black griffin flew up unsteadily and made its way towards Erza.

"Erza!" Jellal shouted again, this time panicked. More than he'd ever been.

They watched as the griffin flew in circles around the north tower, as if unable to go anywhere closer to her. And as if on cue, the beast flew above her and landed on the bridge, trapping Erza between the door and itself. She bent her knees a bit and the beast howled turning around and hitting the bridge with its tail. The tower shook and the bricks around her began to crumble before it began falling down, meters up from the ground, taking her with it. Erza quickly took out another arrow and punched the tip into the wall of the tower and the stones cracked as she fell down, holding onto the arrow as she did so but the griffin was too fast as it landed another blow on the wall, making the arrow she was holding snap into two and her fall became much rapid and for a moment she thought she was going to just fall but then her warrior instincts kicked in and she put a foot on the wall and gave a push, making herself jump upside down and landing perfectly on her feet, knees bent and her hands at her sides.

When she heard another howl, she looked up and grabbed another arrow form the pack on her back and she grabbed the bow, attached to the strap of the arrow pack.

The griffin was fast, but she was faster as she landed another perfect hit in its chest. The beast was just above her when she hit it and the griffin fell at the incredible rate but lucky for her, she was able to duck away before its body came crushing down on hers but not before its tail could hit the back of her head. She felt dizzy for a moment but brushed it away as its tail came wiggling at her again.

The beast stood up shakily and howled at her. She could see through those large beaks and noticed that it was weakening rapidly. She took another arrow out and hit it right in the eye. The huge creature lolled onto its side, paws hitting on the paved yard and its tail wiggling dangerously.

"Erza!" she heard Jellal's voice and turned to look at him running towards her, others following closely behind.

Her head felt dizzy again, and she saw black before falling down but Jellal caught her just in time and her vision came back again. A little fuzzy though.

"Your highness!" a gruff voice called in alarm as the large animal stood up again, refusing to give up.

"Gajeel! On my left. Alzack! On my right" The king ordered. "Natsu and Laxus. Front! And Gray you take my back."

The men did so and the griffin howled again, before advancing towards them.

"On me!" Jellal shouted one hand around Erza and the other on the hilt of his sword and the men drew closer, taking out their shields above them.

The beast hit them where they were protected with shields and sent them all bending towards the ground, their knees touching the cold stone. But they noticed the griffin's attack was weaker than how it attacked them previously. All of them turned around at the same time the griffin went rolling on the ground, trying its hardest to get back up.

"When I say duck, you guys drop to the floor, ok?" Erza said in a dominating voice.

"What? Why?" Natsu asked immediately.

"Just do it!" Erza hissed and she felt her had throb again. But she got to do this.

Taking out another arrow just when the monster stood up on all fours, she aimed it right where its heart was and sent it flying when the beast lunged towards them. It howled from the top of its lungs and flapped its wings as the silver worked its magic.

And the next thing Erza saw was the griffin falling limp on the ground and its body dissolving into air like ashes, before everything went black.

XXXX

If there was anything she wanted to do right now, it was to kill each and every person that belong to the royal family and quickly give her prince his rightful throne. But she got to be patient. And because of being patient, her pet now was killed! How dare they do that something that belonged to her! As if taking her family away wasn't enough, they even had to kill her pet, which was so obedient.

Akira stood up when she comprehended what had just happened. She turned Big and Gruff into a griffin. Yes, she remembered doing that. She also remembered making it immortal to weapons. They couldn't be killed with arrows, swords, spears or anything of that sort.

"There is someone who knows about me." It was more of a statement than a question.

"What was that?" Ivan asked from where he sat, with a basket of fruit on his lap.

"My lord…" Akira turned slowly, scared that she might have angered her lord. "Someone knows that we use sorcery. Someone knows about me." She said hesitantly, in a very low voice.

"How so?" the dethroned prince asked casually, munching on an apple.

"My….my pet was killed." She straightened her back, ready for any punishment. She deserved it for being careless. "I made sure it was immune to weapons. Only a person who knows that it is a creature of darkness can kill it. Only a person who knows how to kill it…."

"Maybe it was sheer luck." Ivan cut her off. "Who else other than you knows how it could be killed."

"Other sorcerers will. Only a witch can kill something a witch created. There must be others."

"There are no others, Akira!" his voice rose. "It's only you who is remaining. My nephew killed them all. And it's a good thing they knew about you. Might as well scare them off when they see how beautiful and powerful you are." He leaned closer to her face and whispered. "Didn't you tell me that they declared war against us?"

Akira nodded.

"Then, what are you waiting for? Go and get ready." He took a step back and brushed invisible dust from his robes. "We attack at dawn." And he left her chambers.

"Yes, milord." She smirked. "Finally." The blue-eyed sorceress giggled.

It was time to pay them back for what they had done to her. But that feeling in her gut told her that there really is someone out there who knows her true identity and she was taught never to question a witch's gut feelings.

XXXX

Jellal sat on an armchair beside his bed, watching his queen intently. She looked so peaceful and serene, lying on their bed like that with a white bandage around her head and it hurt him to see her lying there, injured. She was brave and he doesn't question her abilities but he doesn't want her to fight if she is going to get injured. It scarred him more than the deepest wound any man can get. She stirred and he leaned forward, expecting her to wake up. It's been three damn hours already and he was getting more and more on the edge.

She slowly opened her eyes and winced. Jellal immediately bent towards her and smiled in relief. Erza returned one of her own though it was a bit weak and Jellal leaned to give a peck on her lips. It has been just too long since he had tasted those full lips. And he just couldn't help himself as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss when his hand went to cup her cheeks, other arm on the pillow she was lying on. Erza did nothing to stop him which fueled him even more to continue what he was doing.

There was a knock on their door followed by the sound of it opening abruptly and Erza quickly pushed Jellal away, sending him back to the chair he was sitting on while she was unconscious. She sat up straight, thanking for the screen that concealed the bed to whoever opens the door without noticing them.

"Oh you're up?" Natsu asked stupidly and Gray gave him a smack on the head for being so loud and the roseate sent him a hard glare and the dark haired Knight glared back as hard.

"Were you stupid, your highness?" Juvia asked folding her arms across her chest.

"Just leave it to her to act so reckless." Ultear gave a pat on his brother's wife's head.

"I did what was necessary." Erza retorted sharply.

"But how come your attacks actually _hit_ the monster groffy or something-whatever." Natsu asked, scratching his head to remember what the monster was called.

"It wasn't sent by a human. Probably the one who summoned the samurais. It was a creature of the darkness. My mother gave me a book to read about monsters like those and it could be weakened with silver. Though silver can't kill it. I don't know how I managed to kill it." Erza answered them honestly.

Natsu looked at her with a serious expression, putting pieces together. If silver couldn't kill it but weakened it, then was it because it was _Erza_ who shot him. Was it because she's a sorceress? That must be it. He concluded.

"Anyhow it's gone and we're out of harm's way for now, so let's celebrate!" Natsu declared with a grin, fingers interlocked behind his spiky locks. Erza couldn't help but smile back.

"Did anyone get hurt? What about the citizens?" Erza asked trying to stand up and Jellal helped her.

"No one got hurt. But lord Connell had a huge gash on his chest. And he lost a lot of blood though the nurses were able to stitch it back and they said he was going to live." Gray answered and Erza decided to visit the brave Knight. Alone.

XXXX

"Would daddy like to eat apples too?" a little girl, pointing her tiny index finger at the person who was lying on the bed, asked.

"Yes, Asuka-chan." The green haired woman, in a maid's uniform replied, running a hand through the girl's long hair. "Daddy will have some when he wakes up."

The duo looked up when there was a knock and the elder woman stood abruptly when her queen walked in.

"Don't, please. Sit." Erza said kindly, closing the door slowly behind her.

"Here, your highness." Bisca showed her an armchair and the redhead sat on it. "Are you alright?" Bisca gazed at the bandage wrapped around her head.

"Oh yes, this isn't something to worry about." She laughed. "What about your husband?" she asked glancing at the man on the bed.

The chambers were nice, huge and comfortable. It was to be expected for noble men who served the king without a doubt and follows whatever orders come out of the monarch.

"He's recovering quickly." The head maid replied with a small smile. Erza nodded.

"A brave man, your husband."

Bisca's smile didn't waver as she ran her fingers through her daughter's dark locks as she spoke again. "I wonder…what will happen when war breaks out."

Erza knew Bisca was struggling. With a husband who fights at the front line and a daughter who can't fend for herself, how hard must it be for the woman? God knows what the result will be like. In the end, none of the soldiers in the army, or the royal family may survive. The enemy has the upper hand when it comes to power. They were strong beyond imagination; they all have seen it today. But if everyone's spirits were low like this, what would happen then? Will they be able to fight at full force? Or will some run away?

"We can get through this." the young queen said in a low voice. She hated herself.

There was nothing she could do to these depressed families. She can only talk. There was nothing she could show as proof. There was absolutely nothing she could do.

Or was there?

"Are the bad guys going to kill my dad?" the sweet voice of Asuka brought both women back from their muses.

Her big eyes were so innocent as she looked at the queen expectantly. Crumbs of apple all around her small lips.

"No Asuka-chan." The queen stood up bent to the girl's level. "Your father is going to kill the bad ones." Her reassuring smile spread across her face as the girl's eyes widened even more.

"Really?" the little one cried. "My daddy is a hero, right mommy?" she turned around in her mother's embrace and grinned at the woman.

"Yes my dear." She gave a light peck on her forehead.

Erza could only smile at that. This was a beautiful family. Innocent. They don't deserve to be separated from each other.

XXXX

Lucy huffed in annoyance as she slammed a book loudly. She sat in the royal library, trying to read a book but the events that happened hours ago played in her mind. She was scared to death as she watched from the window, her both brothers fighting against the large monster and her heart stopped beating for good when the queen entered the scene. How could she be so reckless and not care about her own safety?

Lucy knew that her sister-in-law was selfless and put others before her. But still! With war looming over the horizon she wondered what the queen will do. She wondered if her brother will take her to fight with him. Probably not. Because…just in case….maybe…just maybe if her brothers didn't make it….she'd be needed to rule the land.

And damn that thought hurt! What would become of her and Wendy, who was still a little girl? How was she supposed to live without her brothers? She loved them all. She loved everyone in her kingdom. She loved taking walks around the capital city with Wendy and accepting flower headbands people give them. She loved chatting girls of her age.

But, is everything going to be destroyed now, because the enemy uses magic? Will the flowers be burned? Destroyed to nothing and make it look like it wasn't even there to begin with? How could people be so cruel? Why would anyone want to destroy the most beautiful kingdom in the whole world? The Flower Land; they were dubbed so. So, why would they want to destroy something so precious and beautiful?

Was it perhaps because her big brother was cruel before he married Lord Igneel's ward? Then if so, he had amended, hadn't he? He had changed, hasn't he? She was there to see his drastic change.

Then why?

What about Mira? And her brother and sister? What about her cousin, Laxus? What about Levy and her boyfriend, who fights at the front lines?

She wanted to protect everyone.

A pair of warm hands wrapped around her shoulders and it was then, she realized that she'd been crying. Her eyes puffy and red.

"Big brother." She sobbed harder, holding his hands as he stood behind her, his head buried on her shoulder.

"We can get through this, Lucy." He whispered and Lucy nodded as she tried to stop the onslaught but it just kept falling. "We will win. I'll protect you all." He said in a determined voice.

"I promise."

"Uhn." Lucy nodded again, wiping her tears and Jellal sat on the chair beside her. "We will win." She repeated his words.

"Father will be proud of you, Lucy. You have grown strong." He ran his hands through her silky hair and the blonde broke into a grin. "And beautiful."

Lucy's heart skipped a beat when she saw that kind and tender smile on his handsome face. It's been so long…it's been ages since she's been waiting for that smile. It made her teary all over again.

"Now, now…" the young monarch ruffled her bangs. "You look very ugly when you cry."

"NO!" she hit him on the chest and Jellal chuckled, missing old day when he used to tease his younger siblings.

"More ugly why you're angry!"

"Brother!" Lucy whined, wiping the tears and pouted.

"You're very unattractive when you do that." He said with a straight face.

Lucy snapped. She was told that she looked _very cute_ when she pouts. She stood up and stepped on his brother's boots with her heels, snapping it to this side and that. Jellal winced and poked her forehead making Lucy's head jerk back from the force of it.

"Brother!"

Levy watched the interaction between the half-siblings with a hearty smile on her face. Her eyes were teary behind her reading glasses. She had missed that side of them for a while. She was going to comfort her friend when she slammed the book hard and began to cry. But when she saw the king enter, she stood back. She knew his words would comfort her more than hers. Her eyes softened when the king who became cold and stoic returned to his old self. Just when everything was beginning to fall into place….what was happening outside the walls of the castle?

XXXXX

It was mid night and the practice sessions still went on. Sounds of soldiers yelling battle cries and swords clashing against each other echoed all throughout the practice grounds and through the closed door of the personal training room of the chief commanding officer.

Mira beheaded another dummy with a swift swing of her sword. She was exhausted. She was soaked with sweat. But she could care less about that. She needed to sharpen her senses and be on guard 24/7. If she wanted to protect her men and her loved ones, she needed to train more.

With another swing, some hits, she knocked another dummy.

"You should sleep." Came the worried voice of her husband who was watching her intently.

"How…" she kicked another dummy in the gut. "...do you expect…" grabbed her sword and ripped its arm. "…me to sleep in this situation?" she grabbed another sword and ran both swords through the dummy's chest, ending its movements.

Throwing the swords to the ground, she turned to her husband, a sudden dizziness in her head and she felt nauseating for a moment before it all disappeared. Hands on her hips and shifting her weight to one leg, she gestured Laxus to throw the water flask.

"Are you scared, Mira?" the blonde officer asked in a gentle, soft voice.

Mira stopped her movements, her eyes glued on the high, wooden ceiling. "Am I scared?" she whispered. She put the cap back on and dropped her hands to her sides, looking her husband straight in the eyes.

"I'm terrified." Her voice barely came out as her huge eyes displayed the raw fear she felt deep within.

With a sigh, Laxus stood up and walked over to his wife, who was a head shorter than him even in her high-heeled boots. Without any notice, he bent down and gave a chaste kiss on her plump lips, startling her. Finally relaxing and giving into his touch, Mira felt all her energy leave her body. Her legs became numb and if Laxus's hands weren't around her, holding her in place she'd be on the ground. Her head felt dizzy again and the fatigue finally took over, making her eyes close shut, returning his gesture lazily.

"We can get through this." he whispered into her hair, stroking it gently as he brought her close to a hug that forbade light or wind to pass through them.

XXXX

Erza was already asleep when he returned to his chambers after a sparring session with his brother and sister and he was more than happy to oblige when Wendy asked for one, her eyes burning with determination. He felt happy today. It was irreplaceable. So precious and he wanted to cherish it forever.

With a quick bath, he joined his wife in bed and the red haired queen leaned into his warmth. Holding her close, Jellal smiled.

Yes, nothing could replace today.

He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and when she smiled, he gave anther on her lips.

"Good night." He mumbled, fatigue and sleep taking over, his mind embarking onto the journey of the enchanting land of dreams.

XXXX

There was a loud bang on the door making the young king and queen jolt upright. The sun still hadn't risen from the horizon so what could make someone so damn annoying when he was in a peaceful slumber. Putting their robes on, Jellal opened the door to let the impatiently knocking soldier in.

It was Knight Redfox. He quickly bent on one knee in respect, head bowed and his eyes filled with worry.

"Explain!" Jellal demanded impatiently, hands folded across his chest.

"The enemy is approaching our borders, milord. And they're fast." Gajeel explained and stood up when the king gestured him to do so.

"And what do they bring this time?" he asked, irritated, looking out the endless star-filled sky.

"An army." The Knight replied in haste.

Jellal and Erza snapped their heads back at the dark-haired knight.

"Call Laxus and ready the army. We fight back." The young king ordered. Without a word, the knight left the chambers to do what he was ordered to.

"I'm going with you." Erza stood up from where she was sitting.

Jellal stopped at the entrance of their shared closet.

"No you're staying." He stated firmly.

"Why?" she asked through gritted teeth. Was he questioning her abilities?

"Because…" he turned his head to face the walk-in closet door. "Just in case we might….not come back even after…if we won that is…I need you to stay back and lead my country." He didn't know what he was saying but he wished he relayed the message that he didn't want to see her get hurt.

"No one is going anywhere. Everyone is coming right back to this place after we kick those asses. And I'm _going_ with you no matter what you say." She walked right past him and rummaged her closet until she found something suitable for fighting; a leather skin-tight pants and black, sleeveless shirt with a turtleneck and a pair of knee-length high-heeled boots.

"I don't want you to get hurt." She heard him whisper. Turning around, she saw his clenched fists and head hung low, probably to hide what his eyes held as it was shadowed by his silky locks.

Now understanding why her husband was so opposed, Erza took slow steps towards him, a smile gracing her lips. One hand cupped his cheek while the other held her clothes, forehead resting against his and closed her eyes.

"I'll be fine. I promise."

Both of them knew better than to believe that empty promise. But that moment wouldn't let her say anything else or make him believe anything else.

Time will tell how they will end up. And it scared him that when that time comes, she might not be there with him. His gut told him to make her stay, despite her stubbornness. He was the king. She has to obey him.

"Stay by my side." He mumbled in a low voice and before she could respond he had her lips captured in a fierce kiss, as if his life depended on it.

He wrapped her arms around her waist, bringing her as close as possible. His kiss was nothing she had experienced before. He held her like he might lose her if he let go. It was gentle at the same time fierce.

"We should go." He broke the kiss, regretting that he had to let go of her so soon.

But why that feeling to tie her up in the room? To not let her go to the battlefield?

Gajeel informed the chief commanding officer and strolled down towards the worker's chambers. He let out a growl before knocking on a certain door.

A groggy figure opened door the slowly and he forced himself in.

"What the…" Levy was fully and wide awake when the person shoved himself in and slammed the door shut. "Gajeel." She called to her fiancé, who was trembling, from what, she didn't know.

"The war begins in another hour or so." he spoke without looking at her, his back to her.

Levy gasped and her eyes stung, with the tears that threatened to fall. But she was determined to not let it fall.

"Let's run away." His statement caught her off guard.

"W-what?" she managed to let out and Gajeel turned to face her with so much desperation she'd never seen in those eyes before.

"The enemy isn't something we can beat. We will just die out there. It's best to leave while we still can!" he grabbed her tiny wrist and made his way towards the door. "I have a horse rea-" he looked back when his fiancée shoved her hand out his grasp.

Tears of anger and hatred streamed down her face. She didn't know he would appear to be disloyal to his country at the most crucial moment.

"You're mad." She stated, choking on her sobs, brows furrowed in anger. Everyone was putting their life on the line to save the future of the kingdom but a knight sworn to be loyal and accept the dire consequences of treachery was…was…

She wanted to scream. How could he do this?

"Gajeel, this isn't you! You'd never turn your back on your lord and country. You vowed to protect this land! What's the use of being a knight in the first place if you can't even stand straight in battle?!" she was shouting now, and tears increased.

"Why bother to be one if you're a…coward." She whispered but years of training to be the country's best soldiers, his sharp ears caught it.

His whole body trembled. What was he thinking? He fell on his knees, silent tears falling on his cheeks. He was just… he wasn't thinking straight when he witnessed the sheer number of the enemy coming towards their country. When he heard that they use magic, which they have no way of blocking those attacks their sorcerer sends.

A pair of slim and slender arms wrapped around his lean but strong shoulders.

"You got this, Gajeel. Go out there…" she lifted his face and gazed straight into his eyes that scare the shit out of his enemies. "…and fight! For the sake of your love for the country and…me." She gave a quick peck on his lips.

He closed his eyes, thanking the woman who had entered his life.

"Yeah." He opened them with new-found determination.

XXXX

The dethroned prince and his witch were at the front, on their separate horses as they stopped at the borders of Crocus. There weren't much distance to travel since they have always been _within _the borders of Fiore.

"Remember, you only attack the soldiers and _kill_ the royal family. Do not lay a finger on the citizens!" Akira barked orders and the men, the samurais roared.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Let's go!" she urged her horse go faster.

Her life flashed across her bright blue eyes. How happy she was when _they_ took her in. how happily she was brought up and the way the bloody royal army soldiers slaughtered them all. A sadistic grin spread across her face. She'll do the same to them.

_I can finally avenge you, Akasha-san. _Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she saw the soldiers in defense.

_For the motherly love you gave me… _a tear drop fell on her cheeks when she ran her sword through a soldier that was guarding the borders. _I will kill them all…._

Wiping the tear drop, her horse neighed and jumped on his back legs, but her hold on its reins was strong enough to not let her fall, with a sword occupied by the other hand, she glared daggers at the king, prince, chief commanding officer and the generals behind them and the knights behind them, followed by foot soldiers, armed with arrows and bows, spears and swords. She could see the snipers too, too bad for them, she was a _witch._ She can see right through them.

Jellal stood his ground watching the enemy cut down his men. Erza beside him, a helmet on, with the royal cape around her shoulders. All of them bent forward on his knees, when the human enemies lunged towards them, shouting.

The sound of swords clashing and battle cries dominated the entire city of Crocus, tainting the flowers with crimson as they squished the pretty things under their feet. Houses were on fire, blurring the sky and covering the view of the ever-bright stars. Lucky for them, the soldiers were able to evacuate the citizens before the enemy could attack.

Blood was everywhere. Jellal turned to look at his queen, fighting with spirit he had never seen before, skillfully cutting down the enemy. He quickly returned his concentration back to the battlefield and slayed another human. The loud noise of metal clanking against metal made the whole battlefield go silent. All of them turned to look at the incoming army of samurais, cutting down everything in its way.

But what made their heart drop wasn't the samurais. It was the person leading them. His black cape flowing behind him as he rode slowly on his horse, guarded by two samurais clad in red.

"Father…" Laxus growled as his mind flashed back to what his grandfather had told them before assembling to get ready for the war.

It wasn't his fault that he couldn't kill his own son. Which father would have the heart to kill his own flesh and blood? Definitely not him.

Mira took his hands in hers and gave it a squeeze, letting him know that she was there with him.

Jellal raised his hand, and the shields came up on them. Ivan mimicked his nephew. Jellal then pointed his index finger towards the enemy.

"Fire!" Laxus roared, his voice dominating the entire battlefield.

Through the shields above them, arrows and spears flew towards the enemy, all their attacks in vain as there was a barrier surrounding the samurais and the dethroned prince. They gasped but one arrow passed through, hitting one samurai straight in the chest, turning the ancient necromancer into ashes.

A prideful smile lit his face as Natsu threw his spear at the enemy who was advancing forward, protected by the invisible barrier though it glowed purple when their weapons came in contact.

Akira was sure there was another witch within them. But she couldn't see or sense her form anywhere. But the attack to her summons was proof enough that there was one. But what's weirder was, she could sense two others, _people_ like her lurking around. If those two were the one who killed one of her summons, then she needs to find them and have a fair battle between them. But she didn't know where they were. It's like they were being protected. It felt so similar to someone she knew. But everyone she knew was dead and buried and probably decaying underground.

Sword swirling in his hands expertly, Jellal ordered to lower their shields and attack head on. The first ones they tried were the humans, knowing that they had no chance against the invincible samurais. Why the former prince wanted to protect those non-killable things by a barrier was beyond their imagination. But they didn't miss how that one arrow pierced through the barrier and hit the necromancer. They'd leave those monsters to whoever managed to do that.

Natsu had a violent smirk on as a samurai, now unprotected by the barrier, but still there around the lazy prince, who was sitting leisurely on his horse, charged towards him. Swirling his sword in one hand and a spear in the other, he hit the summon on its legs, breaking it to pieces from the force of it. These things actually dared to destroy his hometown and killed his father. And now, he was going to pay them back, thousand times more painful.

He then threw the spear at it, and when it made contact with the face helmet, all movements stopped and the necromancer disappeared in a puff of smoke, mixing with the wind.

"Destroy the fucking helmet to kill the fucking samurais!" he shouted from the top of his voice, which was _very_ loud and the others taking heed of his advice did what he told and surprised themselves.

Ultear and Gray smirked at each other when they took their own samurai down.

"Sometimes that guy's got a brain." Her brother said.

"Oh? I must be getting old since you're complimenting your arch nemesis."

Ivan sat up more straight when the samurais began to shatter and disappear into the night sky. It wasn't like he was losing. He was _winning_. His nephew and his men were strong but he had the upper-hand in numbers. His army was huge. The humans were still strong and fighting back and though the necromancers were decreasing in number, there were still thousands left. They would be all exhausted and drained before they could take out their numbers.

His gaze followed from his nephew to his own son, who was fighting with his father's men, fiercely and then, his eyes caught something interesting. A strand of scarlet was seen waving in the wind as the warrior, a few feet ahead of him was fighting with about three to four of his human men. Upon inspecting more closely, he noticed that the figure looked more feminine though she was as strong as his nephew, maybe even stronger. There was no way, even though strong, she was going to make it out alive. Scoffing at the ill-fated woman, his eyes then searched for his most loyal servant. Knowing that she'd be clearing the castle, to protect him from harm, he slowly made his way towards the royal palace but stopped when his eyes caught the movement that turned the whole fate of the Fiore. He never knew fate would bless him this way, ever in his life. The heavens were on his side. A huge sadistic grin broke out on his face as he shouted from the top of his voice.

"The queen has fallen!"

Minutes ago….

There were about three men coming towards her but it wasn't like she couldn't take care of them. She was more than eager to end their pitiful lives when she saw another two from the corner of her eyes. Grabbing the sword of the man whom she just killed, she attacked the other four that came at her. Flawless swordsmanship attained another two lives of her foes she turned to the other two, bending on her hips to avoid the attack that came her way.

She took a step back when the two men pointed their swords at her. Those two were pretty skilled, she had to admit. If they were skilled then, she'd use speed to win. When she was just about to attack, she saw an incoming arrow from her peripheral vision and she ducked her head but the arrow knocked the helmet off of her head. And before she could retaliate, she saw a sword coming at her…

…piercing right through her chest, missing her heart by a hair's breadth. She felt the cold metal break her ribcage and the tip out of her back, the length of it ran through her and the man pushed it until the hilt of his sword touched the skin of the valley between her breasts before pulling it out of her body with as much force.

Her swords fell to the ground as all life left her body, the last thing she saw was the two men whom killed her get pierced and their hearts ripped and two cloaked people with their hoods on but she didn't miss the enemy insignia on their cloak taking her up on a horse and rode off.

"The queen has fallen!" she heard someone say.

Was she really dying? She tried to lift her head up, but every step the horse took, the pain in her chest increased. Luckily, she was able to catch one last glimpse of her husband calling out her name as he was being held back by his brother and cousin.

She gave up when the pain became unbearable, succumbing into darkness as the enemy took her body away from her loved ones and her home and into the eerily quiet forest, into the darkness of the moonless night.

* * *

**A/N; Buwahahaha! I did that on purpose! I left you guys on a cliffhanger on purpose! Hahaa! Oh my, I'm turning into Akira. Oh well. I hope this was to your expectations and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to show your love and give me suggestions! Those would be kindly considered. **

**I hope to give you guys another update sometime next week. No promises though.**

**Until next time! **

**Love you all and have a good day!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N; This chapter is dedicated to my lovely Jelly Pudding Cheesecake. Because; 1- she was the first person to review this story. 2- She was one of those who stayed till this chapter. 3- She's like a real sister to me. 4- And I could go on! Crimson-san Oneechan! I wuw you!**

**And to all those who reviewed, followed and favorite[d], a huge bunch of thanks! I know that just the word isn't enough but hope you feel my gratitude! **

**Pari forever ft; I love you way too much! I'm glad you felt that way and I hope you did well in your exams. As for the tragic events, don't worry about it too much, there'll be a happy ending to this story. So no worries, there and I prefer tragedy over others because life isn't always rainbows and sunshine right? Sometimes rain fall for days and I got my own damn tragic moments too. But you won't be alone, dear. Everything passes. And again, thank you, thank you a lot sweetie! You can always PM me!**

**WARNING! Spoiler alert! If you haven't caught up with the latest manga chapters then this chap contains bad or good spoilers, I don't know! But this chapter is a lot like the canon and I love it!**

**I still wouldn't have updated if it weren't for crimson-sana! you're such a life saver oneechan! **

**Enjoy!**

Senshi no seishin

Chapter 10- Blood Promise

* * *

He turned around after bringing down another one of his enemies, just in time to see the scene that would, without a doubt haunt him for the rest of his life. Jellal felt his heart jump to his throat at the sight of his enemy run his sword through his queen's chest. He wanted to run towards her and save her but the sound of breaking bones when the enemy ran fully through her, bringing it out of her back made him stop dead in his tracks.

He was too late. He knew it. He lost his queen. There was proof right before his eyes.

He just watched the enemy take her lifeless body out of his eyesight as he screamed to no avail with his siblings holding him back.

The scene was all too familiar for him. It was like a combination of both his mother and father's death. Was this how his women were going to die? Was this some sort of test? Some sort sick game fate wants to play on him. Is this life's way of showing its middle finger at him?

There was nothing in him. He had no spirit to fight back anymore. His reason for living is gone now. There was nothing left for him anymore. His parents were dead too. And now his wife and probably at the end of this war, what's left of his family would be gone too. Him as well.

He chuckled bitterly and Laxus wondered what could have happened for Jellal to stop all his movement and laugh. And suddenly, with a force he had never witnessed before, Jellal freed himself from his grasp and grabbed his sword.

Laxus looked at his cousin and he immediately knew what was coming when he saw the bloodlust in his eyes. The old Jellal, the dark Jellal had come out for blood. He went on a rampage, killing mercilessly anyone who bore the enemy insignia. He ripped their organs out, beheaded them, and crushed their hearts.

It was a sight he swore never to witness again. This was like that time when the king lost his parents. He went mad. Like this. And at this rate, he'll get himself killed. And that wasn't something they could afford with the queen now gone.

"Retreat!" he shouted and all the Friorian soldiers turned to look at their commander, who had his eyes still glued on the blue-haired king.

Following her husband's gaze, Mira shouted in understanding. "Retreat!"

Her sister and her brother all followed her, their voices echoing throughout the battlefield.

Natsu was the first to listen, which surprised everyone. He felt like his heart had been thrown into boiling water when he heard that the queen had died and he wanted to run through the enemy when he saw them taking away her body. But a part of him believed that she wasn't dead.

_Because she is Erza._ He told himself as he forced Gray and Ultear, who were crestfallen by the news out of battlefield.

Ivan had a victorious smirk plastered on his face when his son ordered his army to fall back. He had won. Everyone knew it. His expression didn't change when his nephew came running towards him with bloodshot eyes only to get knocked out by his son.

Laxus glared at his father. Sending him a message through it.

_We will be back._

Ivan's smirk grew even wider.

"To lose again."

Sting, Rogue and Gajeel went inside the palace to get the rest of the royal family and Levy. They met sir Connell and his family coming out of the back gates that led straight into the dark and deepest forest in all of Fiore.

Laxus came with an unconscious Jellal on his horse while Mira and her siblings followed right behind him just when Lucy and the others came on their own horses out of the back gates.

"Did the enemy see you?" the commanding officer asked a bit of out of breath.

"No they didn't." Sting replied, out of breath.

"Let's go." He urged his horse to disappear into the darkness of the forest, hidden by the night, hoping that they would be out of enemy's sensors when daybreaks.

The old king, Princess Lucy and Wendy, prince Sting and his bodyguard, sir Connell and his family, Ultear and hers, sir Redfox and his fiancée and Natsu all followed them deeper into the forest, all of them missing the presence of their red-haired queen.

She fought well for her country. They could only hope that she was in a better place now. That she was in a place without wars and killings.

They prayed well, from the bottom of their hearts that their brave queen was somewhere peaceful.

XXXX

A victorious cheer rang throughout the battle field. The Fiorian soldiers dropped their weapons and bowed to their new master, praying that the royal family had escaped safely. Akira, in the form of a swirl wind came to stop at her master's side, her form changing back to a human and the Fiorian soldiers watched, scared to their bones.

"The throne belongs to you, milord" she cackled loudly, her voice echoing throughout Crocus, sending shivers throughout the Fiorian soldier's bodies.

"What of the old man?" Ivan asked, turning his head to face the witch, his smirk never leaving his face. He hadn't known that victory would be so quick and so easy. His nephew didn't even know how to put up a decent fight.

"Fled. Disappeared." Akira had a maniac smile on her face. "Does my lord want to find them?"

"No. let them come on their own will. Show me the civilians." He turned his horse around, making his way towards the palace he had so longed to step into.

XXXX

Dark lashes fluttered open, scrunching upper eyelids before opening them completely, revealing a pair of auburn orbs in millions of different shades. She closed her eyes again upon seeing the sun at its peak, but opened one eye in curiosity when it had no effect on her whatsoever. It was like she was under the shade of a huge tree. Turning her head, red hair sprawled beside her, she found none though her breath caught in her throat. There were flowers to an endless length and faraway Sakura trees, petals falling like rain. Birds were chirping merrily at their nest and others busily feeding their young ones. The sky was so blue with clouds looking like delicious cotton candies here and there. It was truly a sight to behold.

Smiling at the cool but warm breeze, Erza smiled, hugging her arms wondering when she had arrived at such a peaceful place. Her eyes widened when she realized what had happened right before she drifted into darkness. She had _died_.

A chuckle brought her back from her musings. She looked up to see the owner of that sweet voice. At least what's good about death is she got to see her beloved people. Looking at a similar pair of eyes as hers, no, her spitting image, except for the black hair that framed her face, she found how much she had yearned to see that face again. To hear her laugh. To feel her warm embrace.

"Mother." She called to the woman looking down at her, her voice raspy.

Reaching to touch her cheeks, Erza gasped when she felt smooth skin. She sat up abruptly but the smile on her mother's face never left.

"Mother?" she called again, afraid that this was just an illusion she was seeing before passing into the eternal world where there was no coming back. There was no answer and her mother just kept smiling.

"Mother!" she tried again, panicked this time.

"Oh Erza." She chuckled again. That sweet voice. It was so kind and Erza felt her insides calm, like they always had when hearing that woman's voice. "Still my silly baby I see." The black haired woman cupped her daughter's cheek and Erza immediately leaned into the warmth.

"Is this heaven mother?" she asked, closing her eyes and leaning further into her mother's touch.

"Something like that." The older woman replied.

"Then am I dead?" she asked opening her eyes when she retrieved her hand back.

"Do you wish to be dead, Erza?" she asked in a whisper, looking at her daughter straight in the eyes.

"I-someone killed me. Ran a sword through me." She touched her chest expecting to feel a scar but felt none. She looked down at the low cut neckline which would definitely show a scar if there was one, but there wasn't any.

"You haven't answered my question sweetheart."

"I don't know mother. All of you are here. I wish to be with you more than anything. But I want to live a little longer too. I can't choose both, can I?"

"Of course not, my dear. In order to achieve something you must give up another. That's how everything works. You should know what you want more, Erza." The older woman took her daughter's hands in hers. "And I don't wish your death to come so soon." She whispered her voice barely audible.

"I wish to be with you too but my time is limited. I have to go now." She said with smile. There were no regrets on her face. She looked so kind and Erza watched her mother's feet disappear.

"Will I see you again?" she asked innocently and her mother smiled.

"Yes, my daughter. One day, I hope." She cupped her cheeks. "Go, there are people waiting for you."

Erza watched her mother disappear into thin air, the kind smile on her face never leaving.

"_Live, Erza. Live._" her words echoed through the wind, ruffling her long hair as the last remnants of her mother's glow disappeared.

She felt content and at ease. Turning around to see her surroundings more clearly she gasped when suddenly the place changed, like a flicker to a dark forest where only large and aging trees were before coming back to where she met her mother. She gasped when a throbbing headache came and grasped her head, pulling on her scarlet tresses. She could feel the darkness taking over and her body going weak.

With a gasp, she sat up and a sharp pain erupted from her chest. Looking down she saw the scar that wasn't there minutes ago. She also noticed that her surroundings have changed too. Just seconds ago it was bright and sunny but now it was dark and it felt like dawn, with the sun's streaks just barely coming through the spaces between the trees and leaves.

"My lady!" someone gasped and she instinctively reached for the sword that wasn't there. That voice sounded familiar. _Very_ familiar that it almost scared her.

Turning around, hoping that this was another sick joke, she was met with the very person who had served her when she was still in _Magnolia._

"What is the meaning of this?!" she demanded, practically shouting.

"My lady…." The kitty-cat voice of Milliana made her want to cry.

"I'm glad you survived." The low whisper of Minerva had her burst into uncontrollable tears.

"I….don't want to wake up…." She buried he face into her palms, crying.

She looked up with tear-stained eyes when she heard a long sniff. Milliana and Minerva both lay a hand on her shoulders. It wasn't like how her mother's hands were when on her cheeks. She couldn't feel their warmth, hell; she couldn't even feel their hands. Who would dare to try playing this sick game on her? The witch from the enemy? Then to hell with her stupid tricks! She'd show the woman what it feels like to mess with her when she wakes up. She dared to bring her dead mother and friends to this lowly illusion of hers?!

"You're alive, milady." Milliana spoke wiping the tears from her eyes. "If we were even a bit late, we'd have lost you. The country could have lost you."

"Wha-" Erza wiped her eyes. "What are you talking about, Milliana? You're dead." She spoke, her voice cold.

"We never died your highness." Minerva's statement caught her off guard as she sat, staring at the dark-haired woman. "We just lost our powers when Akira-san attacked us. And we barely got it in time to save your life."

"I don't understand…" Erza whispered. "I don't know what you're saying."

"We cannot die your highness." Milliana spoke again, taking her hands. "We have a vow to follow. And until it's not accomplished, we cannot die."

"Vow…?"

"Yes. We took an oath to protect you until you gain your powers, my lady." Minerva continued for her. "Sealed with our blood."

"What powers?" the information they were feeding her was bullshit! She had no idea what they were talking about. They were dead only days ago and now they're telling her that they never died and never can?!

"The powers that are inherited to you from your parents. The power of Rosemary." The two women said at once.

"You're a sorcerer, my lady."

Erza snorted in a very un-queen manner.

"Yeah right." She rolled her eyes. "And then what? I'm a banshee? A spirit? And a…what was that…a... senshi no seishin? Because I like warriors." She was rambling now.

"Yes my lady. You're a banshee."

"And a spirit. Right now though."

Erza's eyed grew wide. She knew those two people who used to server her when she was in Magnolia had totally gone crazy. She looked around her, finding ways to escape.

"Think about it, Erza-sama. You foresaw the massacre of both Rosemary and Magnolia." Milliana's voice brought her back from her musings of escaping. "You wailed…shouted…and cried when you saw both villages falling apart."

"How do you know I saw Rosemary too?" Erza narrowed her eyes, fists clenched.

"Because we were there, Erza-sama." Minerva answered.

That was new news. She had only seen them at Magnolia. She had never seen a glimpse or even a look-alike when she was living in Rosemary.

"Who are you?"

"Witches who took an oath to protect you with our lives." Minerva answered simply.

"Your mother…" Erza darted her head towards Milliana when she mentioned her mother. "…Akasha-san trained us herself. She had planned to tell you about who you are when you turned 20 but she left before she could do so and made us promise that we teach you everything in her place, before she used her remaining powers to save us so that we can protect you."

"And when that night you foresaw the annihilation of Rosemary in your sleep, she found out that you were more than a sorcerer. You possessed more magic than anyone in the village. She knew you were a banshee that night. Not very many of us were able to gain that power. Only a countable few and all those witches saw just what you saw that night-"

"If my mother knew that people foresaw the massacre, then why didn't she stop it?" Erza cut Minerva off.

"Because it was the royal family. For generations before use of magic was banned, Rosemary was the guardians of the royal family. And your parents, being the leader, couldn't bring herself to harm those whom she had vowed to protect. That's the first rule of being a witch who had taken an oath."

"What happens when you break that oath?" Erza asked big auburn eyes wide in curiosity as she learned about her history.

"You pay it with your life."

"So that means my village dies either way…" Erza concluded, lowering her head. "But…When did all these even begin?"

"Since birth of Fiore. The founder queen, Mavis Vermillion wasn't of royalty but she had the brains far more brilliant than a pure-born royal when it came to ruling a country. There were only very little people at that time and they were all cursed." Minerva took a deep breath and Erza had an idea of how the rest of the story would go like.

"Queen Mavis dispelled the curse put on them by a dark sorcerer. So in return, the people made her queen. And after that, she came face to face with the sorcerer completely soaked in darkness." Minerva stopped again. This time, Milliana took over.

"They were both the opposite of each other. Queen Mavis was the bright light and the sorcerer was shadow dark. But…" Milliana looked away and Erza saw the glistening tears. "Fate was cruel to enough make them fall in love…"

"It felt wrong in every possible way. But Zeref, the darkest and most powerful and most feared sorcerer in history took an oath to protect her. To keep her safe…."

A good full minute passed in silence.

"And then?" Erza asked in a low voice.

"And then…" Minerva started again. "… when the darkness in his heart took over his body, he ran a dagger through her heart during their first kiss….ending their forbidden love."

"And life."

"He broke the promise." Erza gasped.

"Yes, the promise of a witch is deadly."

"Once you take an oath and seal it with your own blood, there is no turning back." Milliana spoke again, her voice even lower but in the dead silence, Erza heard it all.

"When did our family become their guardians?" Erza asked. Whispered more, to the two women.

"After Zeref's death, his powers left his body in the form of a spirit, unable to contain it in his dead body, searching for a host. When it finally found one all hell broke loose." Minerva snuggled closer to the fire that was burning in their midst, hands reaching for its warmth.

"He was the king Queen Mavis had elected. She wrote it in her will." Milliana took over. "He left the kingdom and gave the throne to King Makarov's grandfather, Ibi Dreyer, who married the queen from kingdom of Sun. That was the beginning of true royalty in Fiore. And years later, Precht, the host of Zeref's powers came back on a rampage though nobody knew why." Milliana paused for a while before continuing again.

"And that was when, your ancestor, Rosemary Scarlet came into picture. She had the power same as powers of Zeref. Except hers were white and her powers were pure." She paused again and Minerva decided to continue.

"People believed that she was the reincarnation of Queen Mavis. And when Rosemary-sama defeated Precht purifying the dark soul of Zeref and sending it back to where it belong, king Ibi, being the king of the country and the center of law, had her promise that she protect his children for generations into the future. And in return, she was given a village of her own."

"And when she passed away, her offspring decided to name their village after her. Since then, until the massacre, Rosemary village had fulfilled her wishes and traditions and years after Yuriy Dreyar, son of Ibi Dreyar was crowned king, he banished the use of magic. Now, it's up to you to follow those traditions and do your part, my lady."

Erza sat, staring at the dying fire, her mind's eye giving her the view of the story they told like a movie. She had never heard any of this. She never knew her bloodline was that of supernatural. She couldn't think anymore. She didn't know _what_ to think. Everything was so sudden.

She glanced up once again, when a nagging questioned flared to life in her mind.

"Who's Akira?" the look shared by the two witches in front of her didn't go unnoticed by the red haired queen.

"She's one of us." Milliana said in a whisper, her gaze lowering to the dead flame with grey smoke arising from its wake.

Minerva hugged her knees closer.

"What? What is it? What is it that you are not telling me?" she asked in haste and leaned forward, hands trying to clutch the dirt beneath her that never seem to gather within her grasp.

"She was the orphan your mother took in."

The news had her walls crumbling down into nothingness with a loud cracking thunder. Her eyes were wide. There were so many things her mother hid from her. But….why?

"Being the kindhearted person Akasha-san was, she couldn't ignore those big blue eyes that had been crying for days. She grew up with us both in a separate part of the village where we practiced our magic." Her head felt like it'd explode but her ears listened to their every word even though her mind screamed at her to stop.

Milliana's kitty voice spoke again. "She had a beautiful warm smile. Akasha-san was everything to her. She was trained to be a guardian like us under Akasha-san's instruction. She was…she was…" the pause followed by a sniff told her that the young sorceress was crying.

"What?" Erza found her voice to whisper breathlessly.

"She was…" Minerva stopped to shake her head. "She was trained to be the guardian of the son Akasha-san was expecting."

Her whole body felt numb. She was going to get a baby brother and she didn't even know anything about it. Akira had always been there with her but she didn't even know who she was. Much couldn't be expected since her mother kept them at different parts of the village. And for a moment, for keeping all these away from her, a spark of anger lit itself in her heart towards her mother.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why didn't mother tell me…?"

"Because she was scared that she might put you in harm's way." Milliana replied after finding her voice to speak again. "After the ban of magic, the village elders decided to stop teaching their children magic, except for the guardians of the main household."

The fire of hatred died down at her words. And she was thankful that it didn't grow to something she'd regret.

Erza sat still as she put everything into place. Milliana and Minerva gave her enough privacy to sort out her thoughts. She could understand why now Akira was so hell-bent on destroying the royal family. Because Jellal wiped out their village, Akira wanted revenge. That love she had for her village made Erza wonder if she even cared about her village. But she was rational. She made sensible decisions in marrying the blue-haired king. Instead of being blinded by the hatred she had towards the young king, she chose to stop his madness by marrying him and it helped, a lot. She knew it would be what her mother would have wanted. She definitely wouldn't want her own daughter to go on a rampage and kill each and every person out there who stood in her way against killing the king. So yes, her decision was very lucid and she can proudly say that she made the right choice.

But what of Akira?

How would her mother feel if she sees Akira being blinded by hatred? Her feelings were understandable. Akasha Scarlet, her mother meant the world to her and Rosemary was home to everything and everyone she loved. But that doesn't give her the right to go on a killing spree to avenge her village.

"Why did she become like that?"

"Akira was taught magic. She didn't come from a pure-blood sorcerer family like we do so when the hatred within her grew, it took over her heart, completely soaking it in darkness and concealing moral judgments. Even if a peak of light strike through the darkness, the greater fraction will wash it away, bringing out the memories that were scarred her for life as a pathetic excuse."

Hearing Minerva's answer, she knew she had spoken her thoughts out loud. She felt pity for the ex-guardian. If Jellal would ever dare cross her path, then there'll be no way she wouldn't run him through. Jellal wouldn't be able to defend himself from a witch. There was just no way for his survival if they shall ever encounter.

Thinking of her husband, she wondered if he was okay. If he was still alive. Or if they war had been won but the chances were slim with a dark witch as the second in command of their enemy. As the possible scenarios ran through her head, a sudden urge to panic coursed through her body though externally she remained perfectly calm. It was only for a while but the hyperventilation with the weight of her thoughts came at full force. She shot up straight, trying to catch her breath and ease the oncoming panic attack.

"Jellal…" she breathed and the two guardians were on their feet immediately.

"My lady…" Milliana called, adrenaline running through her own veins at the panicked face of her queen. Fallen may be it is, but she was still her queen in every way.

"I need to find Jellal…" she said in a softer tone, calming herself in record time. She needed to know if they were alive. She needed to know if he was safe.

The sun was up and it'd be easier to search for them. With her stubborn resolve in place she turned around to face a speeding boar, snorting loudly coming her way. There's no way she'll be able to avoid the attack the wild animal will give her, causing her another scar on her flawless skin. So she could only watch when the animal came closer and closer and inches away and…..

…..

…..

…..ran through her. Her body glowed as it passed right through her. Eyes wide as it could be she stood rooted to her spot.

_Jellal…_ and with all the emotions waging war throughout her body, she found herself in need of her husband. Longing for his warmth. The ache for his soothing words ever growing. The burning desire to see his face smiling down at her set all her nerves on fire. Within all the chaos, she missed his very presence beside her.

And the tears that fell like crystals were uncalled for. She no longer had control of her body. It did what it wanted, despite her mind's command to stop. She had to do something. Everything was so twisted and so out of place.

She had to do something, she had to…. She was the _queen_. And she _will_ follow the vow she made to her king.

Her eyes burned with new found determination though the tears still fell, the need to protect everything burned like a wildfire within her auburn irises.

Yes, she was _The Queen_. And she won't remain fallen.

* * *

**A/N; Aw! **

**This is a promise; Jellal will make his appearance in the next chapter so clear away all those brimming tears. Yes very good. Now, there's something NEW about this chapter? Can anyone point it out? Yeah? **

**Also, there'll be some time until Erza and Jellal meets though I can't guarantee when. Everything goes this way and that way when I write so there's no plan yet. The plan forms when I type.**

**Okay so, umm, go down a bit and click that alluring box over there and tell me what's on your minds?**

**Again, so very gomen for the late update. I hope this made up for the giant absence. And another gomen for any mistakes, you know the per diem rant!**

**P.S. hey peeps! I got a new Jerza story called Kill me. Heal me, published. Can you go and check it out, if it isn't too much to ask of you darlings?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N; thank you for the reviews follows and favorites!**

**But I gotta warn you guys, it's all tears this chapter. **

Senshi no seishin

Chapter-11

* * *

"Jellal-kun!" the azure haired boy turned around, a scowl marring his features when his name was called by that sweet, sweet voice. Warm it maybe but annoying as hell sometimes.

Her nagging would go on and on and endlessly on. He could hardly call that _advice_. But he still needed to listen to her. He still needed to obey her and he _had_ to heed all her words.

Because she was his _mother_ and queen of Fiore.

"Come here, sweetheart." Queen Hara, from where she sat on the young prince's bed waved her hands at her son, who was sitting on the window seat.

Grumbling and groaning, Jellal shoved his hands into his pockets that scowl ever remaining on his face which emitted a chuckle from his mother which seemed to deepen that scowl.

"What is it now?" he asked sitting beside her, arms folded. Hara draped an arm around his shoulder which he tried to shrug off.

"I'm a teenager now, mother. Not some kid."

"You'll always remain a kid to me." The blue haired woman laughed heartily, ruffling his locks but retracted her hand back to her side.

That laugh, that warm and loving laugh managed to break a smile on his face. Sometimes, that was what he loved most about the woman sitting beside him. Her laugh could always make his mood brighten up right then and there.

What was he going to do without her?

"We'll be leaving to Magnolia in a few hours so I came to check on you. If you're ready to leave that is." Hara spoke again, breaking the comfortable silence between mother and son.

"I'm ready." Jellal replied.

"Good." the queen sent a small smile but frowned as if she isn't supposed to tell the next thing she had planned in mind. Jellal frowned, his curiosity peaked.

"Lord Igneel does not have a daughter. If he had one don't you think she'd be perfect as your bride?" the grin on her face was so vibrant that it put the sun to shame. "He's got a son though." She frowned again before her face lit up in another grin. "But don't you think Lucy would be a perfect match for him, Natsui…um Hatsu was it?"

Jellal rolled his eyes, folding his arms again. Here surfaces the queen's multiple personalities.

Jellal was about to say something back when the double doors to his room were pushed open, revealing the spitting image of his mother. A mini spitting image of his mother, to be precise.

"Big brother didn't take me to ride horse today." She complained storming into the queen's embrace, scowling at the young prince, the expression the toddler could come as close as anger. "So why are you here with him, mama?"

Hara laughed.

"Big brother was busy today, Wendy dear." The older woman put a strand of blue behind the little girl's ear. "But he will take you on a horse to the party." Her small face immediately lit as soon as the words were out of the queen's mouth.

"Really? Lucy would like to go on big brother's horse too."

"Lucy?!" A voice demanded from the doorway though a smile was plastered on her pretty face.

The blonde princess and their half-sister with another blonde, the prince and their half-brother stood on the doorway to Jellal's room. He rolled his eyes again.

Wendy let out a squeak and jumped onto Hara's lap, as if it was her safe haven.

"Now, now Wendy-chan. I told you to call Lucy-nee, Lucy-nee." The queen ran soothing hands through the little girl's hair.

"Wendy is small brother's girl right?" Sting hopped into the room and tickled the toddler in their step-mother's arms.

Wendy laughed hysterically making Jellal snap.

"Get out of my room already."

Everybody was silent for a minute. Then,

"Everybody pounce on big brother!" Wendy yelled, pointing a tiny index finger at the eldest prince and jumped on him. "Payback for not taking me ride ponies." She began tickling the prince and in a matter of seconds Sting started to do the same.

Lucy couldn't stand at the door anymore and walked over to her siblings and joined the fun. With the tickling from both his sister and brother, Jellal squirmed under them and accidently elbowed Lucy in the eye making the blonde princess fall back on the floor.

"Oh dear." Queen Hara reached for her step-daughter and blew on her eyes and comforted the girl on the verge of crying.

Lucy smiled and hugged the queen, holding her waist.

"Wendy-chan! Lucy is mama's kid now." She said in a teasing manner and Jellal was thankful for that as Wendy stood from his body and made an angry face at her big sister.

"No!" she whined.

"Small brother too." Sting hugged Hara from behind.

And the queen could only laugh as her sons and daughters cuddled her.

"NO!"

"Wendy-chan is big brother's kid." Jellal sat in his bed and pulled his little sister into his embrace.

The others let out an exaggerated gasp, with a smile sporting their faces.

"And we will go ride ponies in the clouds, right?" the eldest prince smiled warmly at the little girl and inhaled the scent of their mother in her hair.

"Right!" her face immediately lit up and she stuck her little tongue out.

Hara wrapped her arms around Sting's arms and Lucy's tiny waist.

And they laughed while king Shen watched, leaning against the doorframe of his eldest born, a warm smile gracing his lips and a glint of sadness passed within his golden emerald eyes before being replaced by happiness.

The horses were neighing loudly and wriggling like a leaf on a windy day when they were half a day away from Crocus. Nobody knew what was happening and Jellal wrapped his hands around Sting and Lucy in a strong grip in a silent promise to protect them from anything and everything that might come their way.

"My lord!" they heard a soldier shout.

"My queen!" And another.

Dread filled throughout his body. His parents and Wendy were in another carriage, while him and his half siblings and their cousin, Laxus sat in another one. He nodded at Laxus who did the same. They were about to open the door and step out when a small hand tugged at his sleeve.

"Big brother…I'm scared." Lucy said in a shaky voice, her eyes brimming with tears.

He smiled reassuringly at her and placed a hand on hers.

"Everything will be ok. You have Sting here while me and Laxus go and check out what's happening out there."

Lucy was about to say something when they heard Wendy's ear piercing cry. Their heads jerked towards the sound, though the vision was concealed by the confines of the carriage. Sting's hands immediately went to the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"Don't come close or I'll kill her!" they heard another voice followed by another one of Wendy's cries and that was what Jellal needed to storm out of the carriage, Laxus following close by.

The sight that greeted him sent his blood boiling thousands of degrees positive. A person clad in full black, like a ninja had a traditional Japanese katana at his mother's neck.

"Jellal-kun! Get inside get inside!" queen Hara shrieked in panic.

Was that what she could think about right now? How could she say that when an unknown psychotic had his sword at her throat?! He was going to fucking save her. The moment he unsheathed his sword the man behind his mother shouted.

"Drop the sword!" Jellal didn't listen and the man grabbed his mother's hair, yanking it backwards until her neck was fully exposed. He immediately dropped his sword.

So this was why all the guards had their weapons on the ground, this was why the horses were running amok. This was why his _father_ had his sword by his feet. How the hell did the man managed to grab the queen, who was a great fighter herself?

Jellal didn't know and his mind was going berserk. All those time he thought his mother was annoying surfaced in his mind and he regretted ever thinking that. He hated how he treated his mother sometimes. He hated himself. He wished he was the one in her place right now. How he wished he could undo so many damn things at that moment of helplessness.

"Mother…." He let out a weak whisper, tears running down his face unconsciously.

"Don't worry baby…we…we can get through this." her smile, that smile again. Jellal couldn't help but smile through his tears at that.

What was he going to do without her?

Queen Hara held out her fist in front of her, towards her son. "Let's go together till the end." Yes. Her catchphrase during spars and the words that gave them strength at the face of hardships.

He extended his own fist, a good ten foot within them. "Let's go together till the end."

And in a flash, the queen snapped her captors arm and snatched his katana from him and used as her own weapon. It was as if that moment with her son gave her the strength she needed to get away from the sword at her throat.

Jellal smirked at the sight of the man getting squished under his mother's boots and he grabbed his own sword like the rest of them and he saw his father send a satisfactory nod towards him.

"Who sent you-"

His eyes were wider than saucers as his mother's question was cut off by a…..sword. A sword…right through her chest. Someone threw a goddamn fucking sword at the queen, protector of the king, center of the country. Wendy's scream barely registered in his mind as he watched his mother's body falling to the ground, the sword still intact. He watched his mother's _lifeless_ body, falling, falling on the hard ground, the sound of breaking flesh and bones as the sword came out of her body when she hit the ground.

An army of about twenty men like the one his mother killed emerged from the forest surrounding the road and in that moment, Jellal saw red. With a bloodcurdling scream, he advanced forward, ready to rip their organs out. They dared to kill the queen. On top of it, they dared to kill his _mother_, a figure that could never be replaced.

He didn't know what he did but he was fighting aimlessly with the only intent of killing, no matter how he did it. He turned to face Wendy when another scream escaped her lips just in time to see three of their enemy surrounding their father and slit his throat who tried his best to protect his youngest born.

He was the king, his father. She was the queen, his mother. If there is anyone out there who have to avenge them, wouldn't it be him, their own son?

_Ungrateful bastards! _He advanced towards the men who killed his father; Laxus grabbed Wendy and ran away from the battle.

He looked at his cousin, eyes filled with so much anger and hatred he never thought would be possible. He was killing in the most gruesome ways. He had seen fights, wars but the cold warrior he was, was about to puke at what his cousin was doing.

Merciless would be an understatement.

Jellal saw a figure from the corner of his eyes, the figure of his uncle but he was in a hungry killing spree to turn and see that smirk on his face. And before he knew it, he was falling, head throbbing and the darkness engulfed his whole mind after he ran through another one of his enemies, his heart in his hands.

A sword running through Erza's chest flashed before his eyes.

XXXX

Jellal jerked up from wherever he was lying. Sweat ran down his temples and he was panting like he had just run a marathon.

"My lord!" he jerked his head up to see a green haired woman sitting beside him, bloody bandages beside her. He then looked at his arm where fresh bandages were wrapped.

Nodding a thanks, he laid back again, arm over his eyes. The sun was rising or setting, he didn't know as he watched the tiny rays filter through the large trees overhead, his mind drifting onto millions of thoughts away each second.

He missed Erza. He missed his parents. He needed them to put him back on the right track. He felt so damn lost without them. He needed them to guide him through life, to be the light at the end of the tunnel. To be his compass when he was lost.

To be his light when it's dark.

But he knew better than to wish for the impossible, though a part of him still strongly believed that Erza was still out there, alive and well. Maybe lost, trying to search for him. But he witnessed the enemy running his sword through her. Just like how they had run through his mother's. And she never came back. He had been there during their funeral. So, what makes him think that Erza would come back? To make matters worse, he didn't even see her dead body. They took her away.

"Jellal…" he lifted his arm from his eyes when he heard his grandfather call him.

Calm he may look but on the inside, there was a chaos he couldn't quite explain and Makarov knew better than to believe that cool expression his grandson sported. He was amazed that he hadn't gone berserk like that time when he lost his eldest born and Jellal's parents.

"Yes." The blue haired man breathed.

Pain coursed throughout his body as he sat up, groaning at the feel of his sore muscles.

"Easy there." Makarov placed a hand on his chest when the young monarch began to pant heavily.

"How long was I out?" he asked, taking in their surroundings.

Tall, aged trees and plush bushes surrounded them; looking like a cave as the canopy of leaves overhead encircled them in a protective manner as they settled camp with a dying fire in the middle.

"Two days." The old king replied in a breath, exhaling loudly.

Jellal jerked his head towards his grandfather, almost snapping his neck in the process. He never remembered being out that long ever in his life.

"I…I saw that bastard. He killed mother and father."

Makarov released a tired sigh. "I should have killed him during the first attempt to kill your father. It's all my fault."

"I beg to differ." Jellal bent his knees, encircling them with his arms and furrowed his brows. "How could you kill your own son? He maybe a monster but how would you have the heart to kill your own flesh and blood? I certainly cannot. So, don't blame yourself, grandfather."

"Then you should stop blaming yourself over your parents death, Jellal." Makarov said in a calm tone. "And Erza's."

Jellal was about to retort when a scream that was loud enough for the enemy to hear echoed throughout the forest (if they were close by and within hearing range).

"Erza is not dead!" Natsu looked furious, standing in the middle of the camp, gaining everyone's attention. He had every reason to be. And it would have been weirder if he was silent. But everyone else knew better than to cling onto that hope the roseate didn't dare blow away. "You know what? I'm sick of everyone saying that Erza is dead over and over again!" his voice didn't die down and he was making it even harder for them to keep the pain they felt at bay.

"She isn't dead! She isn't dead!"

"Just fucking accept the reality, Natsu!" Gray bellowed. The ex-Earl stood up stormed towards the pink-haired knight. "Erza is dead. We saw it with our own eyes damn it! Don't make it any harder than it already is!" he grabbed Natsu by the collar, tears running down his face as he shouted at his closest friend, unconscious to the moist stream flowing down.

"I don't believe that she is, you bastard." Natsu yanked Gray's wrists and punched him in the jaw. "Erza isn't dead!" he kept chanting like a mantra as the two knights engaged in a fist fight.

The whole camp felt their emotions go haywire at Natsu's outburst. They were all close to the red haired queen and it was a big blow to them. Lucy, Wendy, Sting and Sir Connell's family and king Makarov who were inside the castle during the battle wasn't able to take it very bravely. They felt the loss from deep within their hearts and it was only natural that Natsu, being a witness and her foster brother would act so feral. It wasn't easy for them either. They were all so close to her.

"Please…stop…" Ultear pressed her both hands to her mouth as her brother and Natsu punched each other senseless, her tears an endless waterfall. It wasn't easy. They both weren't making it easy. She had begun to cope with the loss of her friend even for a brief while but everything just flew out the window when the two began to act that way.

Juvia wrapped her arms around her sister-in-law's trembling figure, burying her head on her shoulder, her own tears staining her cheeks. She couldn't bear to look at them fighting. She just wished they'd stop.

If Erza had been here….if she had been here…she'd punch the living daylights out of them and pummel both of them to the ground. That thought alone sent the blue haired woman spiraling into another fresh batch of tears.

His blue locks fell onto his eyes, concealing the emotions in his emerald orbs. His nails dug into his wrist and he buried his head deeper into his knees.

"Dead…" he whispered, his hold on his wrists intensifying. "Erza is dead goddamnit!" he shouted, silencing the whole camp.

It hurts. It really hurts to admit. It took him years to acknowledge that his parents were dead. That they weren't coming back. And the pain only grew with the death of his wife. God, it had been so damn easy to fall for her and it had been so damn easy to fall back onto the right path. She was so dominant, so bright and so…beautiful. In every way possible. In every way existing. But why did she have to leave? So soon?

They had yet to consummate their marriage.

It was like she was an angel sent by his parents to guide him onto the right path. Like she was his _guardian_ to lead him back to whom he was before.

"No…" Natsu's low whisper brought him back from his musings. "She can't be dead. She won't die. _She isn't dead_!" he bellowed again, running towards the young monarch.

But before he could pounce on him, Gray, Elfman, Laxus and Gajeel stopped him. All of them found it difficult to hold him down while the others just watched, tears raining down their faces.

"Gramps!" Natsu turned towards the old king beside Jellal as the men knocked him to the ground though his struggle to free from their grasp didn't stop. "Tell them! Tell them she isn't dead. Tell them _why_!" Makarov's heart clenched as he looked at his pleading eyes, insisting, begging him.

"Please…." His broken voice with the tears rolling down Natsu's face was what the old king needed to break into the tears that had been threatening to fall ever since they retreated from battle.

Lucy was holding onto Sting's shoulders as her petite form trembled with the tears rolling down, her face buried in the base of his neck. She couldn't even do a single thing to protect anyone. And the order from her brother to stay at the castle didn't help either. And Natsu…crying…did little to ease her pain. She missed her sister-in-law. She was a jewel. Inside out.

Wendy lay sprawled beside Bisca who was hugging her daughter. Her blue hair on her face as she curled into a ball, hands on her face as she cried her eyes out.

The sun never came up. He was told that it was morning earlier but why hasn't the sun come up? Jellal titled his head skywards. He could see the grey clouds overhead, through the small clearing right above where Natsu was lying, still being held by his men-family members. He had a distant look in his eyes as he watched small drops pattering down, turning into a full heavy downfall in mere minutes.

Everyone was crying their hearts out. So, why couldn't he? Why weren't there any tears running down his cheeks. Everyone except him and Natsu and the men holding him down stayed rooted to the spot while all others scurried away from the rain, trying to shield them from the cold shower.

He just stared at the little clearing above, rain drops beginning to soak him. He could care less about that. Looking at the drops falling, he felt like the heaven was crying for him. Like the sky itself missed the presence of his queen, his wife. Like it was crying in his stead. Pouring down all the emotions in his heart as tiny droplets.

But, that doesn't mean he didn't love her. Because the tears didn't fall, it didn't mean that he didn't love her. Hell, he could rip his heart out of his chest and show how much she meant to him. How much he loved her. How little things she did made him the happiest person alive. How just agreeing to be by his side made him happy, despite her unwillingness. She still had stayed by his side even though it was against her heart. And it was beyond his explanation how much, how damn much she meant to him.

He just wished he had showed his affection towards her a lot more than he did.

"Tell them why she can't die…..tell them who….." he opened his eyes and looked at the soaked Natsu. He looked so heartbroken.

Why wouldn't he be? He lost all his family members and it was a miracle that his sanity was still there. Jellal still had his siblings and grandfather. But Natsu….he lost them all.

The heaven was crying for them.

XXXX

Akira stood at the balcony, under the heavy rain. The droplets barely registering in her mind as she gazed off into space. The civilians all around Fiore had begun to accept the new crown. What can they do, when he had the royal blood in him? He was just neglected from his birth rights. This was only the first phase, only the beginning of what she was going to do.

There was no doubt that the former king would come back demanding his throne back. Then, it'd be time for phase two. She'd kill him and attain her revenge. She had the upper-hand with magic. He'd be useless against it. She'd have her sweet revenge. Kill him painfully and slowly and she was sure she'd have no query that she'd enjoy it, _thoroughly_. She could bet all of the kingdom's fortune that she'd enjoy his expression. She'd make Jellal Fernandez _beg_ for death. She'll torture him to the bones and do it again and over and again. She'll make him regret ever being born.

After all, he didn't know how it felt like to kill the person, the only person whom he loves with his own hands. Just so that she could ease the pain. She clutched the railings harder as the memories resurfaced. Jellal fucking didn't know how it felt like to walk in the forest to hunt down a decent meal only to come back to the sight of his village burning.

She had regretted going into the forest that day. She could have just gone later, after killing the army off. Unlike the rest of the witches, she took no oath to protect the royal family. She shed no blood to keep their asses out of harm's way. She could have killed them off easily.

If only she hadn't left the village. If only she stayed back with Milliana and Minerva. Her shoulders trembled as the tears spilled on her smooth cheeks. Milliana and Minerva….they had been so kind to her.

_Akasha-san…_ she could stop the choked gasp that escaped her lips. She couldn't keep the scream she wanted to keep in. she couldn't stop the tears that fell, mixing with the rain. She missed them. She missed them so much. She closed her eyes as the most painful memory forced its way from the locked away chest in her mind.

_"Kill me Akira. Do…it…" Akasha choked on her blood as Akira stood by her side, crying hysterically. She had come back from hunting and saw the village ablaze, houses destroyed to ground level. There were corpses everywhere. _

_"I…can't…" she breathed. "I can't Akasha-san I can't." she shouted through the tears._

_"Of…course…you….you can…" the woman smiled at her. it was so gentle and so tender that Akira wondered how she managed that when there was an arrow embedded into her chest, another into her stomach and there was no doubt that the infant in her would be dead and she was losing so much blood. There were deep gashes all over and she couldn't see the part past her knees by a large boulder that covered her legs knees down. _

_Akira knew she was in so much pain and it was only merciful to kill her rather than let her die slowly and feel the pain throughout her body. With hands that shook like a leaf, she grabbed the sharp dagger attached on a belt around her thighs._

_"Akasha-san, you know I love you right?" she perched the dagger at the elder woman's pulse point, voice trembling._

_"Yes…" Akasha breathed weakly, the smile never leaving her face._

_"And you know I really, really care about you right?" Akasha nodded._

_"I love…you too….Akira…." the Scarlet matriarch spoke, raising a bloodied hand to cup the girl's cheek. "You…you're like one of….my own…" she smiled weakly, trying her best to keep it on. Akira nodded._

_"I love you Aka-san!" she chanted like a mantra as she dug the sharp blade with one swift movement, screaming her head off as she ended the one person she loved to her bones. The one person who gave her everything. _

_Her screams only grew louder when Akasha' hand fell limp to her side, a smile ever present on her face. She cried her heart out, unable to notice the redhead laying a feet away breathing with a protective barrier around her though she was all bloodied. _

She screamed into the rain, clutching her hair as if it'd ease the pain she felt in her heart. Wishing it'd ease the headache. Wishing that her hands would stop trembling. The hand she killed her mother-like figure with.

_Akasha-san….I miss you._

XXXX

"Oh for heaven's sake! You expect me to wrap _this_ around me?!" the redhead demanded showing the black cloak that bore the enemy insignia to the two women in front of her.

"It'd be safe. For now." Milliana said with a smile hoping it'd convince the red haired queen.

"Safe my ass!" Erza snorted.

"It'll keep the enemy's eyes off of us. Besides, what other choice do we have when they'll kill anyone of the royal family on sight? This will be the safest." Minerva took the cloak from her hands and helped her wear it, only to run through her.

"This is beginning to get on my nerves." Erza mumbled, clearly annoyed. "Why the fuck am I a _spirit_?!"

"Language, milady." Milliana sent the enraged redhead a weak smile. "Language."

"That's because you nearly lost your life. The sword missed your heart by a hair's breadth. Consider yourself lucky, my queen." Minerva answered.

"So? _Why_ am I a spirit? I fail to apprehend your explanation, Minerva. Please, enlighten me." The annoyance didn't go away and the queen crossed her arms.

Minerva cleared her throat, melodramatically.

"You see Erza-sama, during-"

"Erza."

"Alright. Erza. During the moment when you were surrounded by the enemy and taking down two at once left a small opening and when you saw the enemy's sword coming right at you, the panic you felt-"

"I didn't panic."

"-at that moment, caused the power within you to kick in for your defense. Hence you didn't know that you had powers within you, the powers within you went crazy. I hope you understand this, my lady." Minerva frowned at her lame explanation.

"Yes. I do. The powers within me came to life but I didn't know I had them so the power was confused and?"

Milliana resisted the urge to snicker. Minerva cleared her throat again.

"Good. So the powers went crazy within your body, trying to find a way to escape but the sword that ran through you and the panic-"

"I didn't panic." Erza repeated again and this time Minerva didn't ignore.

"Oh I'm sure you did. It was all over your face. We saw it while riding towards you. Tell me I'm wrong Milliana?" Minerva's change in tone caused Erza to just stare at the girl. She sounded, for the lack of a better word…subjugating. She looked more evil at that time.

"Erm…." Milliana decided to think over her words.

"Anyways, the panic…" Erza rolled her eyes at the dark haired woman's attempt at emphasizing how much she _panicked_ according to her. "…caused your powers to go into an uproar which cost you your material body. And from what I have learned, you might regain your physical body when you gain your powers." The dark haired sorceress explained.

"Might?" Erza raised a perfectly shaped brow.

"Yes, the chance is fifty percent. Fifty percent that you might regain your body and fifty percent you might not." The redhead turned to Milliana who answered after staying quite for a long time.

"Ever?"

"No. not ever. It might be late. Though if you learn your powers, you might not regain your body immediately. It may take a while. Depends on your magical prowess, milady." Minerva shrugged.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

The two witches stood in front of Erza, a good distance between them and then, Minerva threw a sword. Erza looked up at her, confusion the only thing evident in her auburn orbs.

"Pick it up." Milliana ordered.

With a careless shrug, Erza took a step forward to be stopped by Minerva.

"No. without hands. Your magic, milady. Your magic. That's what we're learning here. Not sparring."

"How do I do that?" Erza asked in a low voice.

"Concentrate. Tune out everything and concentrate solely on picking up the sword."

Closing her eyes she did what she was instructed and opened her eyes in great hope to see the sword getting up all by itself. But disappointment would be an understatement of what she felt when she opened her eyes. The sword lay there, exactly how Minerva had thrown it. There wasn't an inch moved. She tried again and again and again only to see the same, no progress at all. The sword lay there, unfazed.

"What the hell!" Erza threw up her arms in the air, exasperated. "How am I supposed to _lift_ a freaking sword _without_ my hands?!"

"Your powers my lady." Her company chorused and Erza resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"To hell with my powers!"

She was angry. And she smacked herself mentally for not realizing how stupid the task those two women gave her until now. She was a queen, for god's sake! And she's supposed to be smart. Not act like a fool and lift something _without your hands_.

"Do it." Minerva demanded in a warning tone.

Erza opened her mouth to retort.

"If you want to see your family again. To _touch_ them again."

All words died on her lips when Milliana uttered those words. No matter how ludicrous it sounded Erza decided to give another go. It was true, what Milliana said. She cannot touch her family again if she doesn't learn this so called power of hers. In all honesty, no matter how absurd all this is, Erza tried again, closing her eyes, she concentrated.

Nothing would stop her from meeting her family. Her husband. Her friends.

_Nothing_.

Erza opened her eyes, irises glowing as she did and the sword, oh the sword was in the air.

"What in the name of Fiore is this…"

* * *

**A/N; Whoot! Our queen finally got her powers. Oh darling sweet pie missed her dearies too much, eh? Sooo let me promise this. Jellal and Erza ****_will_**** meet in the next chapter I tell you. Happy much? Then, why don't you tell me how you felt and leave lots and long reviews? Ok? **

**Oh and I almost cried when I made Natsu cry. Almost, mind you. I always have a soft spot for him and Erza when they cry. Do you guys remember that time during the tower of heaven arc Natsu cried while Erza decided to sacrifice herself? **

**Oh god….**

**Anyways! Stay healthy and leave a review! Many many reviews!**

**Ja!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N; Yo minna-san! I'm back with a new chapter ^^ happy?**

**Oh and please forgive me if you find any mistakes. I just finished typing this. **

**A huge thanks to the reviews, follows, favorites and crimson-sana for helping me with mammals and reptiles :D damn! You guys should go and read her story 'Let Yourself Fall' it's damn good. Way better than mine ;)**

**Enjoy!**

Senshi no seishin

Chapter 12

* * *

"Stop bumping into me!" Natsu hissed.

"I wasn't idiot!" Gray hissed back.

"Oh yes you did stupid!"

"Just stop and shoot that thing!"

"If I turn into a monster, you'll be the first one I go after."

"Yeah, good luck with that. Now shoot before I shoot your ass!"

"Shut up! Both of you!" Laxus warned in a hushed tone.

"It's your fault!"

"It's your fault!"

The two knights growled inwardly glaring daggers at each other. The men, excluding Alzack, Sting and Rogue and Elfman, all the others had left hunting after the rain came to a stop and they were starving by the time it did. It was already an hour past noon when the rain stopped and they have yet to catch the deer they have been chasing after. Natsu had the only bow available with them and every time he tried to shoot the animal with the limited amount of arrows, their meal seemed to detect them and ran away.

And now, they were hidden behind thick bushes, lying on the ground while keeping a keen eye on the grazing deer. Natsu adjusted the arrow in his crossbow, his aim perfectly at the neck of the animal. The arrow went flying when Gray bumped his elbow into his left arm. It hit the deer right in the butt, missing its neck and the animal began to run around like a headless chicken. The men rushed out of the bushes and into the opening, surrounding the little animal.

Jellal swirled his sword expertly and sent it flying towards the shrieking deer, ramming the metal straight into its chest, ending its life swiftly.

"Wow!" Natsu clapped his hands, stomach growling in agreement.

"Yes, wow!" Gray said sarcastically and Natsu was quick to get sensitive.

"If you didn't bump into me I could have perfectly killed it in one shot, droopy eyes!" the roseate pointed his index finger, poking Gray in the chest hard enough to make him stumble back a step.

"What did you call me squinty eyes?!" the dark haired knight twisted Natsu's finger and the latter cried in pain earning glares from Gajeel and Laxus. Jellal merely cared as long as they don't attract a horde of enemies.

The two men's insult went on. Sometimes punching and kicking. Over the time they had been together, he knew that that was how they bonded. Laxus and Gajeel tied the legs of the deer they caught whilst Jellal pulled his sword out of the animal's chest and wiped it clean.

On the way back to the camp they found some berries that were ripe. Gray and Natsu were quick to shove the fruits into their mouths. The others hurried to pick some for the rest at the camp before the hungry monsters could finish the whole tree off.

Gray and Natsu's banter continued on through the silent forest, sometimes Gajeel being dragged in with them and Laxus's would snap at them. For a moment, they'd remain calm and start over once again. The process repeated over and over again until they heard a low growl coming from bushes. Heavy silence engulfed them for a minute before they heard another growl. It came from the same spot and it sure as hell didn't sound like a human.

The five men took a defensive stance, bending their knees a little and drawing their swords out.

The animal that jumped out wasn't something they had expected. They _were_ in a forest so seeing a lion was pretty normal but they hadn't expected it to jump out some _bushes_ like a wild cat. They stood frozen to the spot. They have faced wars, strong enemies and a witch, yeah a witch too but a lion? No, this was the first time. Well, like they say, there's always a first for everything. And they had no freaking idea how to handle the so called _king of the forest_.

The lion roared. Natsu and Gray screamed like little girls and Jellal could swear he heard Laxus and Gajeel yelp girlishly. He smirked, putting that little vital information away for future reference. Right now, he needed to take care of this lion before it find its way to their camp. He isn't losing anyone anymore. Not by some lion.

The animal roared again, wind gushing at their faces and they squinted their eyes. The mouth was huge, enough to eat Natsu whole.

"Hey!"

Oops! He didn't know he said that out loud.

"I agree." Gray laughed a little, fright evident in his voice though he was manly enough not to show it unlike the roseate standing next to him, shaking like a leaf.

"No you don't!" when it comes to insulting and fighting his best friend not even the lion can scare him. Typical Natsu.

Anyhow, the lion watched as the two men brawl like a puppy. When Gajeel got dragged away into the fight, the huge creature flopped its butt on the ground, sitting as grateful as a cat. Laxus and Jellal stared at the animal trying to figure out how to escape.

When the brawl got louder Laxus turned to lecture them. A good minute passed while they were at it.

"I can't believe you guys can fight at a time like this when _the lion is attacking at us!_" the young king started softly but shouted from the top of his lungs when he saw the lion standing up, ready to run at them.

They all screamed when the lion came at them with a loud roar until;

"Luupi! That's enough! They're not food." A feminine voice called from the bushes. A girl with short ivory hair adorned with only a single rose emerged from the trees, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

Natsu and Gray looked at the huge mouth of the lion, their heads already inside the aforementioned place. They shared a look and gulped, looking at huge tongue. They heaved a synchronized sigh of relief and glared at each other for copying when the lion fell back, sitting beside the girl.

"Oh your highnesses! What pleasure do I owe for having your presences here in the heart of the deepest forest in all of Fiore?" the young girl, approximately around prince Sting's age, bowed deep. The lion after sending her a confused look mimicked her, sending shivers down the men's back.

"Your name, maiden?" Gajeel asked in his grumpy voice.

"Oh how rude of me. I'm Yukino Agria." She bowed even deeper, nose touching the dirt and the lion did the same.

Laxus and Jellal shared a look.

"Lord Agria's daughter?" Laxus gestured the girl to stand. "What business do you have here?"

"I-I…when the war broke out…some people came to our village claiming they were the new _owners_." Yukino bent her head down, biting down on her lower lip. "They…they…" she cupped her face when the tears fell. "They killed…my parents…"

The men sighed. Ivan would do anything and everything just to get powerful.

"You know you can always join our camp!" Natsu said cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear. He took a step forward and the lion stood up. "Whoa! Easy there big guy."

"Who's the cat?" Gajeel asked crossing his hands.

"It's Luupi, my pet."

"Pet?!" they shrieked. What sort of human has a lion as a _pet_?

"Luupi." A certain blonde princess crossed Natsu's mind.

"Don't make fun of my sister."

"Don't make fun of my cousin."

Two swords were immediately pressed against his throat diagonally and the pink haired knight gulped hard while Gray and Gajeel could barely hold their laughter in though they failed to hide the smirk that broke out on their faces.

XXXX

Lucy was sitting on a clump of leaves that acted as a mattress. Wendy was lying on her lap, hugging her knees, curled up into a ball. The mood still hasn't lifted up they were trying and the fact that they were starving didn't help the situation much. It had been three days since they retreated and god knows what her stupid uncle was up to. Who knows what he was doing to their people.

Beside her, Sting sighed. He leaned back, weight leaning on his outstretched arms and legs crossed. He looked at his sister and half-sister. Wendy was holding up. More than he thought. Her spirit was so strong and determination unyielding. Must be the genetics of Hara. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. The memories with his and Lucy's stepmother had been nothing but fond. She made it up for their real mother, giving her love equally as her own children. He had been there when their parents were murdered. But he hadn't witnessed it.

It was her blood and flesh who saw.

It hurt him so much when little Wendy began to have nightmares after that. Who wouldn't? Her parents were brutally murdered in cold blood right before her eyes. It was her screams that made him and the others residing in the castle to go up into her room in the dead hours of the night. It had been so heartbreaking.

His brother was worse.

To say that they lost him would be an understatement in itself. During the coronation, people had seen the drastic changes within him. Like how lifeless his eyes looked. Walking like a dead man, without giving a care about anyone, not even his siblings. He was cold, brutal and merciless. He lived for the sake of living. Sting had tried to reach out to him, tried to help his brother to let people into his world again.

But he had so coldly swatted his hand away.

Maybe he wasn't ready to accept anyone at that time. But still Sting tried. And what came then, made him gag until he passed out. Jellal began to kill. His eyes held no hint of humanity. He just ran through people's throat with or without reason. And the next thing he knew before he could stop him, he had exterminated a whole village.

Sting tried.

He tried to bring his brother back. He loved him so dearly. He shared his mother with him, not arguing even once, no complaints. He took care of him like how a real brother would. With a smile and patted him on the back during spars for a job well done. It all stopped with the death of their parents. Everything froze right then and there. He forgot what love was, forgot how to care.

And then, Erza, the late queen decided to step into the picture. It had been animosity on her side, he knew it. They had been a challenge, he saw it. But then, his brother began to fall for her. He could tell how wonderful of a woman the queen was.

She had been the light in his dark pitch universe.

The glow was so bright it never dimmed his world even after her death, not even a little. She brought his brother back. She brought Fiore's king back to its people. She put his family back again, gluing the broken pieces back together.

Why did she also have to leave?

Jellal's good looks were no joke. He could get a woman anywhere, any part in the whole world. Yet, it was her fate had decided to make him fall in love with. Why bother if she was going to be taken away from him, breaking his heart all over again just when they were getting back together?

Had karma always been such a bitch?

He could feel the tears brimming just thinking about what had happened to his brother. But Sting wasn't going to cry. Not after everything his brother had taught him. He got to be strong.

"Let's go together till the end." He whispered, Hara's voice echoing in his mind.

Wendy and Lucy looked up at him. Their eyes looking confused. The words were rarely spoken since their mother died, almost never. But those words had been what led them through hardships. It had been what gave them strength.

But, back then, their mother, along with her catchphrase had been there with them. She had been there to give them strength. But now that she was gone….

_Doesn't mean that she is _actually_ gone._ Lucy closed her eyes.

"Let's go together till the end." Wendy's soft voice compelled the blonde princess to open her auburn eyes

The blue-haired princess sat beside her, her little fist extended before her, towards Sting.

He could only stare wide-eyed at his sister.

"…yeah." A genuine smile –for the first time since the war –broke out on his handsome face. "Till the end." He bumped his own with hers.

The others looked at the siblings, a smile of their own forming on their faces.

If the royal family wasn't ready to give up yet, then so weren't they.

Ultear stood up and walked over to them, ruffling Wendy's bangs when she reached. She gave a heartfelt smile to the little princess which she returned with one of her own. The girl was going to become a great ruler; she could see it in her eyes. There was determination, and confidence lying beneath those chocolate irises. Somehow, the girl reminded her of Erza.

The late queen, she reflected the late queen it was almost painful to look at her face. But Ultear knew better than to let herself turn weak.

Erza had left the war for them to finish, for them to win. And she as hell wasn't going to let her death be in vain. Gray and Natsu and Juvia will definitely be with her even if it meant that it was only the three of them fighting against the enemy. There was no way her family would just let Erza die like that. She will be remembered, for her beauty, for the warrior she was, for the friend, for the…the list was endless.

Because, Erza Scarlet had been so many things.

In this life, she was a remarkable woman and Ultear knew even in the next life and the next and the next, she'll still remain the same.

There was ruffling in the bushes and thick greeneries that covered their little camp. Swords that belonged to anyone who can fight were unsheathed. The ruffling grew more. Sting, Ultear and Rogue took cautious steps towards where it was coming from while Mira and her siblings with Sir Connell stood behind them.

And suddenly a ball of pink jumped out.

"Hey! It's just me!" Natsu breathed when he felt the three swords at his neck.

He was getting that a lot today.

The three warriors sighed in relief, sheathing their swords back.

Sting stopped midway when his eyes landed on an unfamiliar figure. He turned to his brother who came with the rest of the squad that went hunting food with brows raised in question.

"Meet Yukino Agria." Jellal introduced the white haired girl.

The camp nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Yukino." Sting took her slender hand, pecking it.

The flirtatious vibe wasn't lost on anyone, except Natsu who grinned from ear to ear as he walked to where Lucy was sitting.

"Sting." Jellal said in a warning tone.

His half-brother shrugged carelessly, the devilishly handsome smirk on his face making the noble woman blush lightly. "Yeah." He took steps back.

Just then, Yukino's pet cat decided to make the grand entrance.

The whole camp screamed, minus the ones who already did.

Jellal just stared at them blankly. He was actually amused that his grandfather was nothing short of a leaf, sweating like a pig.

"Oh meet Luupi, my pet."

Jaws slacked, mouths agape, they all looked at the girl like she had gone mad. And as if to prove her, the lion snuggled closet to her, brushing its wild mane against her cheek.

"My reaction exactly." Natsu whispered into Lucy's ear who in turn shut her mouth close, embarrassed knowing that she never looked as un-ladylike as she did seconds ago ever in her life.

Yukino was quick to settle with the people in the camp. Mira was the friendliest one, stating how much she looked like her little sister every now and then. Lissanna took no time to deny as she nodded vigorously at her lookalike. What surprised him more was that Sting could barely keep his eyes off of the noble. Jellal raised an elegant brow when his eyes met his, who colored his cheeks in turn. Jellal smirked, looking down at the leaves he was playing with, one arm propped up on his bent knee while the other leg stretched in front of him.

The smell of meat being cooked filled the air. He was hungry as it is. But they needed to leave as soon as possible. He can't afford to run in to enemy men. He looked up at the sky. It was almost sundown. And by the time their meal is finished, it'd be dark.

"We leave at dawn." He told Laxus who came to sit beside him, both of them watching the rolling dear atop the fire.

"Where?" The blonde asked, bending his knees and intertwining his hands over it.

"Anywhere. We can't stay here for long. Not when we have a witch hunting us." Jellal tore the stem of a leaf, crushing it.

"I don't think that bitch is searching for us, Jellal." They watched as Mira turned the meat over.

"What makes you think so?" the ivory haired woman called for some help. Bisca came and aided her with taking their dinner off of the fire and placing it somewhere clean.

"It'd be a piece of cake for her to find us with that magic of hers." They watched as the women served dinner, giving to the kids first.

"She cannot come." A new voice interrupted them when Jellal opened his mouth to reply. The cousins looked at Natsu who sat on the other side of the king.

"The hell you're talking about, Dragneel?" Laxus snorted, leaning against tree trunk.

"Because Erza's alive." the two men sat motionless, wondering how this man could have such a strong faith, such burning desire to believe.

"Don't you feel it?" he asked when they failed to reply.

Laxus and Jellal looked at him.

"The air. There's something different about it." There was seriousness in him they never saw before. "Like it is pure. It ain't happening when there is a dark witch taking control over your kingdom. It isn't my story to tell. Hear it from Erza when you see her."

XXXX

Dinner went unexpectedly quick. Maybe because he was thinking miles away each second. He wasn't able to eat much. But with the nagging of the people around him, he finished his share of food. Jellal couldn't help but think about what Natsu had said. There was something that he wasn't telling them, he knew it. But he had mentioned Erza and how it was her story to tell them. How could that idiot still believe that she was alive? Even if Erza was immortal –which he was thinking after those confusing conversation with his wife's foster brother –wouldn't be able to survive an attack to her heart. He had witnessed it himself and it was slowly breaking him as he replayed it over and over again in his head.

But with that strong belief Natsu was holding, he himself wondered if she had indeed survived or not. Of course the relief that flooded with that thought was overwhelming –in a good way though.

Jellal sighed. He watched the starry sky as he lay down on the grass, watching them twinkle between the trees, fingers intertwined behind his head.

He wondered if she was looking at the same sky as he did –_if_ she was alive, that is.

And then, there was a bright light. He saw Rogue extinguishing the fire when everyone retreated for the night. Then, what was the light? And what's with the blue color?

"Are those fairies, mama?" Asuka's innocent voice rang through the dead silence of the night.

Jellal sat up.

There were creatures that were so small, smaller than fireflies flying around like wisps of smokes, glowing bright blue. It was a beautiful sight. He never saw something akin to this ever in his life. Everyone watched in awe, their faces glistening with the light illuminated by the small beings. They watched as they swirled around them, sound akin to jingling bells that was barely audible reaching their ears as it passed by him.

He was awe-struck.

It reminded him of the fairy stories his mother used to tell him.

Jellal watched as the glowing insects or so they were flew into the air, through the spaces between the leaves, passing as a whirlwind.

The camp grew dark again. The young monarch lay down on his side as sleep began to consume him and he let it take over, willingly.

Jellal dreamt of Erza.

XXXX

It was day. They were packing up, getting ready to leave. Jellal tucked his sword back into its sheath and mounted upon his horse gracefully. The rest were already packed and on their horses.

"Ready?" he asked looking back at the people behind him, taking hold of the reins.

"Yes, sir." They chorused professionally.

The journey began. Horse following after horse. They needed to find shelter soon. It'd be safest to stay as far away as possible from the capital. Even if no orders were given to kill them on sight, Jellal knew better than to encounter the enemy. They could not be trusted. Not even the foot soldiers. And with their less numbers, he wasn't willing to sacrifice anyone.

They rode through a large clearing, en endless meadow and into the other side of the forest; stopping for some minutes to collect water from the rivers and waterfalls they passed by.

An arrow shot past Jellal's head, ruffling his blue locks.

"Halt!" a man who bore the enemy insignia on his chest armor stepped right in front of them, a hand outstretched. He wasn't scared that Jellal might run over him.

The horses neighed loudly, some falling to the ground as they began to shriek and move uncharacteristically. Jellal hopped off his horse ignoring the panicked calls from behind as he drew his sword out.

He walked towards the enemy soldier, sword hanging by his side carelessly. From the corner of his eyes, he could see two men up in the trees, arrows intact and ready to shoot. The moment he raised his sword, they let go of their arrows but Jellal was quick to duck and avoid being shot and with his regular speed, he finished off the soldier who blocked their way.

The next moment, the two who were in the trees fell with a cry, landing harshly on the ground. The king looked back to see Laxus, his sword missing with a smirk on his face and Natsu with his bow, the only arrow with him, missing.

"You scared me, brother." Lucy breathed out in relief and took a step back.

With a yelp, her feet slipped, falling to the valley that was on their side.

"Lucy!" Natsu was quick to run to her aid.

He barely caught hold of her hand before she fell into the deep valley. It was filled with... He expected water, a river running downstream but not this. Beads of sweat formed on his temples as his eyes remained glued to what was behind the blonde princess.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" she asked, noticing him tense.

"Lucy." He said in a soft voice but the slight, barely there, tremble wasn't lost on her. "Don't look down, ok? Just trust me I'm gonna pull you up." He said to her as he began to pull her up.

Lucy was curious and that was her biggest mistake. She took a peep down and a bloodcurdling scream left her lips, making Natsu almost lose his hold on her.

"Lucy!" the others were beside her instantly, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

With help from the other men, they pulled Lucy up who hugged Jellal, trembling wildly.

Silence engulfed them. Then there was the sound of hissing. Like a snake's. Their eyes were still glued on the snakes –pythons to be more precise –rolling around the valley down. But what froze them more was the sheer number. It was a breeding nest and they as hell don't like being disturbed.

But what surprised them more was that Fiore was deemed safe from generations down to this very day and never once has they seen deadly creatures lurking around even in the deepest forests. And the color was odd too.

It was in black color with navy blue stripes. Their eyes were yellow, giving off an eerie vibe. When a pebble fell down from where they stood, black smoke arose.

XXXX

Somewhere in the castle, Akira chuckled.

"Took you long enough." She sipped the expensive wine. "I was bored."

Her eyes glowed.

XXXX

Hissing loudly, the large reptiles began to wobble its way up, towards them, their huge fangs out on display.

"Pythons are big but I don't think it's this huge." Lissanna whispered, staring the enormous creatures that were now standing right in front of them, their height reaching way above the cliff they were standing on.

The sound of unsheathing swords echoed through the air along with the loud sizzling of the giant snakes. They weren't going down without a fight.

The roar of Luupi stopped their movements. The creatures stared at the large mammal. And the next moment, they were hissing down at the fur-ball who whimpered, running behind Yukino as fast as it could.

Asuka began to cry while Wendy and Lucy screamed.

And then, out of nowhere, like magically, a sword penetrated through the snake's chests. There were more hissing sounds as one by one began to disappear into thin air in a puff of black smoke. It reminded them of the time they fought with the griffin.

The snakes, all of them disappeared when that glowing white sword hit them.

Like the light washing away the dark.

"You passed!" a feminine voice squealed from behind.

The voice belonged none they knew, hence turning around to find three figures behind them.

Their forms were covered by the cloak they wore.

Jellal was quick to react when he saw the enemy insignia on them.

He along with the other warriors walked towards them.

"We don't wanna fight." It was another voice but that didn't stop him.

"Your highness!" that woman who had the voice of a cat shrieked when Jellal spun the sword dangerously.

The one in the middle remained awfully motionless, like frozen.

Natsu and Gray didn't stop either but the two women were faster, sometimes moving like a blur.

"My lady, do something!" the cat woman called.

"Get back here you!" Natsu bellowed when she ran away from his grasp when his sword was merely inches away from her.

"My lady?" the other woman called, albeit worried.

"Is she the witch?" Laxus asked taking hold of one of them.

He yanked the hood of her cloak back, revealing dark locks. Jellal did the same with the other woman, the cousins' swords at their jugular.

Ultear, Natsu, Gray and Juvia froze.

"Mi…Milliana?"

"Minerva?"

"You know these women?" Jellal asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"They were Erza's personal bodyguards when we lived in….Magnolia." Natsu answered for him.

"Could you…could you please remove…uh…the sword?" Milliana chuckled nervously.

Jellal and Laxus moved away.

"Then…" Ultear swallowed thickly. "Who is that?"

With that question asked the remaining one who was cloaked spoke, freezing them on their spots.

"Hello." She said.

Jellal was the first to move. He took cautious and deliberate steps towards her. Drawing his sword out, with the tip of the weapon, he pulled the hood off of her head.

Beads of sweat formed on his temples, his body rigid, breath hitched and heart rate picked up.

Scarlet hair which described her most and those kind chocolate pools, ivory skin and that gentle smile on her face. There was no mistake…

"Erza…" he breathed out.

* * *

**A/N; so? did you like it?**

**Please please read and review! Let me know what you thought of this chapter, ok?**

**Gomen once again for the mistakes.**

**Now go go go go go and read Let Yourself Fall by crimson-sana. It's fan-freaking-tastic, I tell you! You won't regret I promise :D**


	13. Chapter 13

Senshi no seishin

Chapter –13

* * *

To say that Erza Scarlet was happy would be a definite understatement.

When Milliana and Minerva had said that she'll be able to meet her family, the redhead wanted to jump up and down right then and there. But her pride and dignity stopped her from doing something so un-ladylike.

Not like she hasn't done something un-ladylike before.

But still.

She tried to keep her excitement to a minimum. Though, a huge smile broke on her face every time she thought about seeing her family again. She blushed at the thought of seeing Jellal again. Everyone must be pretty worried about her, right? She should apologize first.

And then, she'd show how powerful she had gotten. Within a couple of days, the queen had learned how to summon swords –that was so pure it glistened like silver. It was so sharp that it penetrated through almost anything it touches. And she was amazed at how her irises glow gold when she uses magic.

It was such a fascination.

Magic was a beautiful thing.

She was proud to say that she is a descendant of the Rosemary village. And their duty in life was to protect the royal family –her husband.

Erza thought it was romantic.

During their journey to find her family, Erza couldn't but help smile all through it. They must be proud of her right? Her appearance had changed significantly. Her hip-long scarlet tresses were no longer in waves. It cascaded down in straight lines –which were breathtakingly beautiful. Though she was still in a spirit form, her skin had turned into a much livelier tone. She still cannot feel material things and others are still unable to touch her without going through her.

How will the others react when they see her like that?

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard an earsplitting scream.

"What was that?" she looked up, the hood of her cloak concealing her face.

The redhead couldn't help but think that the voice sounded awfully familiar.

Minerva and Milliana hastened their pace and Erza followed closely behind. They almost ran through the trees and onto the road where a couple of people were. Erza recognized them instantly. The pink hair of her brother and the blue hair of her husband, how could she forget them? They all were the people her heart yearned to see for the past days.

But her senses were on alert when she felt something dark lurking around. She didn't have to search for long though when giant serpents in black color arose from the valley on the other side of the road.

"Akira…" she heard Milliana whisper.

Erza also could tell that the summoning belonged to her. The wicked witch was taunting her family. And she cannot forgive her for that.

Even if she was a daughter figure for her mother.

Without thinking further, Erza raised her palm; her irises glowed gold as swords appeared out of thin air. Her weapons pierced the snakes right through, sending them back to where they came from. All at once, the others turned around to face them. Erza watched as their eyes turned deadly. They must have noticed the enemy insignia on their cloaks.

The redheaded queen watched as the warriors advanced forward, weapons drawing out.

Erza watched.

Their eyes burned with pure intent to kill.

She had seen how much they hate Akira. How much _she_ hates her and her magic. So it was only natural for them to act the way they were acting. She'd have done the same. After all, in their eyes, she had died.

All sounds fell deaf on her ears as she watched her husband in a vengeance, trying to cleave Milliana in two. He looked so deadly. If she was the enemy, she'd run off by now. But she was Erza.

And she doesn't run.

But the looks on her family's faces scared her. They all showed how much hate they harbor for the enemy. For Akira.

And now, she had turned into one of those things they despise most.

Erza watched as all eyes fell on her. She could guess they had realized who they were, with Milliana and Minerva's hood off.

"Hello." She said in a low voice.

Erza watched as Jellal took hesitant steps toward her. She waited until he was a foot away from her. Raising the tip of his sword, he pulled her hood back.

She saw his eyes grow wide, his breath hitching.

"Erza." He breathed.

He looked at her like she wasn't supposed to be alive.

And that hurt.

Suddenly, Erza felt terrified.

Terrified about how they will react when they learn who she really is. Jellal must feel so betrayed. All this time, he had been married to a witch. And he had no idea.

Erza felt her breathing get erratic. She saw Jellal lifting his hand to touch her. He won't be able to, though. But he doesn't know that. Her breathing quickened with every second that passed with her watching his hands coming towards her face.

"Don't touch me." She blurted out before she could stop.

Jellal's hand froze. His whole body went rigid.

"Milady…" Milliana called, worry filling her as she attempted to stand up.

"Stay down."

By now, everyone could see her shaking.

"Erza!" Natsu's loud voice rang through the forest.

"Don't come closer!" Erza practically shouted. Her eyes glowed and the next moment, there were swords running down their height, all around them.

"Erza…" Jellal began, seeing her panicked expression.

He had no idea what was going on. None of them did. They had no idea where the swords were coming from. But now that they have witnessed it, they knew it was Erza.

And it freaked her out even more.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed when Jellal once again took a step closer, his hands coming towards her.

But Jellal will have none of it. He wasn't going to listen to her. Not when she was right in front of him, alive and well. All he wanted to do was hug her until she couldn't breathe and confirm for himself that she was indeed alive.

Maybe that was why his heart nearly stopped.

The hand that was meant to cup her smooth cheek just…went right through her face. Shock filled his whole being. Dread filled every fiber in his body. He quickly retracted his hand to his side, as if his touch might hurt her.

And it did.

He never saw such a strong feeling in someone's eyes before. Such raw hurt. And it hurt him too, to see her looking like a fragile doll.

Just what the hell was happening?

Erza turned around, running away from them. Jellal took a step forward but was stopped by a strong grip on his arm. The blue haired king turned around to see Minerva.

"She will come back." The black haired witch said. "In the meantime, let me fill you in all the details, your highness."

XXXX

The rim of the wine glass she held barely touched her lips. She narrowed her bright blue eyes before clutching the glass hard and thrashing it against the wall. The maids in the room shuddered.

Akira stood up from the chair she was sitting on and walked towards the double mahogany doors that was previously used as Princess Lucy's quarters. The black satin of her dress trailed behind her as she walked barefooted on the carpet before pushing the doors open. Her fists were clenched and jaw clutched hard as she descended down the stairs and out into the front yard. The cool breeze of autumn ruffled her midnight locks as she once again, narrowed her eyes, as if searching for something.

The dark witch could swear she felt the presence of another witch. But she couldn't tell who. It was like something was blocking her –something bright. She could also tell that whoever this witch was, she was able to exterminate all her summons with a single shot.

Akira knew she shouldn't let this person slip.

If that someone gets acquainted with the royals that were without a doubt wandering, it'd make things messier. She wouldn't stand another witch. She'd kill her on the stop. She craned her neck until a satisfactory pop was heard; Akira smiled deviously as she walked towards the front gates of the castle.

Her form changing with every step she took. When the dark witch completely transformed into the white fox, she ran towards the forest in full speed. With every intent to kill the witch out there.

The guards who witnessed the form-shifting gulped, sweating bullets.

XXXX

Jellal sat in silence. His mind processing the information the two witches were feeding them. It made sense. Given Erza's behavior before Magnolia was exterminated, he could believe it. And how she was able to hear things none of them could.

It was all believable.

And he didn't hate her. He wasn't angry, if that was what Erza thought. Was there any way he could possibly hate her?

He loved her.

A lot.

So how the hell was he supposed to hate her? No matter what she became. And with his grandfather voicing his agreement, Jellal knew she was a descendant of a witch household.

Rosemary, the village he ordered to exterminate on false accusations.

In the end, all this war, being chased away from their home was his fault. He was the root of all the mess that was happening right now. If he hadn't lost his mind, none of this would have happened. Erza would still have her material body and they'd be living happily in the castle. His siblings wouldn't have to sleep in the cold. Winter was almost here and they need to find shelter soon if they don't want to die of cold before they could win their home back.

The blue haired king looked up at Natsu's grinning face. The guy didn't look the least bit surprised about the news. It was if he…

"You knew about this?" Jellal asked.

"O' course, king." The roseate intertwined his fingers behind his head. "Took you guys long enough to know."

Gray pulled his sword out and pointed it at the grinning warrior whose grin immediately was replaced by a frown.

"Who are you?!" the dark haired man demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"Cut it out, droopy eyes. I'm in no mood to bicker with you."

Everyone's jaws slacked.

Jellal stood up walked where Erza ran off to. No one tried to stop him this time. They were all just too happy to know that the queen was alive and well. And they believed that in time, everything will alright once again.

Jellal walked through the forest they were resting and came to a clearing with a fast flowing river up ahead. He looked around to see anyone with scarlet hair and spotted his wife by the riverbed sprawled on the grass.

With a sigh, the blue haired king shoved his hands into his pockets and walked towards her. She looked like a fallen angel with her hair behind her, sometimes waving in the wind.

"Hey." He said softly, crouching down to her level.

Erza turned on her back, facing him.

"I can see your nostrils from down here." Erza said with a blank face.

Jellal chuckled.

"Is that a joke?" he picked up a reed from the riverbed and played with it, eyes never leaving his wife.

"Whatever you think." The redhead shrugged.

A moment of silence passed between them with the wind brushing past them as they stared into each other's eyes.

"You…" Erza began, not breaking eye contact. "You don't hate me?"

"Why would I?" Jellal asked instantly but slowly.

"Because I became someone you despise. I'm a witch you know." Erza looked away, fearing his reaction.

"I know." he said softly.

Erza jerked her head towards him.

"I know." he repeated, eyes burning into the chocolates of his wife. "And I don't hate you, Erza. I _love_ you."

Erza watched as the emotions stirred within his emerald eyes –all for her. She already knew that he loved her and he had told her during the first days of their marriage.

"No matter what you are…" he started again. "…it doesn't change the fact that you are my wife." He finished softly, bringing the reed in his hands to her face. He traced the contours of her face, her skin glowing ever time it made contact.

"Nothing will stop me from loving you." He whispered.

A smile broke on her face.

"So don't run away like that again." Erza nodded.

Jellal smiled back at her.

XXXX

Night fell quickly as they celebrated the return of their queen as best as they could while living in the forest. They were all smiles and laughs, never once forgetting that they were people chased away from their home, in search of shelter and food.

To have their queen back was something better than having a roof above their heads.

_Home is where Erza is._

Natsu twirled Lucy around who giggled.

Out of all of them, Gray danced best, which amazed everyone. It was a known fact that the only he knew how to do best was stripping and fighting with Natsu. But to think that he had a talent other than those, Gray might not be as useless as they thought. Juvia was flushed red and Ultear was laughing her head off, asking where he learned those steps between fits of laughter.

And then, an intense battle began when Natsu asked for a showdown between him and Gray. Though there was no music, they duo danced like music was all around them –must be in their head since their moves were very alike. Later, Juvia and Lucy were dragged in.

Sting wiggled his eyebrows at Yukino who immediately looked away, a tint of pink decorating her cheeks. Luppi tilted his large head, wondering what was wrong with his master and wiggled his tail.

Mira dragged Laxus into the dance circle for a round. Lissanna grabbed Elfman's hand and twirled him once. The bulky ivory-head complained that he felt dizzy but his younger sister ignored him and continued dancing. Sting then extended his hand to Wendy, who accepted it like a proper princess which made the young prince giggle. He however glared at Rogue when he and Yukino began dancing. Rogue decided that it'd be best to ignore him and enjoy. A while later, king Makarov joined the group when they began to sing as a mean of backing their dance, taking Asuka with him.

Everyone else began to join too, except for Jellal and Erza who stood watching them.

XXXX

It was just around when the night-watch group went to sleep. The next group of people who were supposed to watch the camp was checking out the booby traps they had laid around a certain ratio of the camp. It was almost dawn, the sun's first rays filtered through the gaps between trees, giving them light barely enough to see without any sort of torch.

A light growl was heard, but Natsu, Gajeel and Gray thought it Luppi. They had to bite back a girlish scream when they saw Erza standing.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked, stepping inside the safe boundaries of their camp and walking towards his sister.

"There's someone here." She replied, her eyes narrowed as she searched for the source that emanated off a dark pressure.

"It's the smell of death." Minerva came behind her.

Natsu, Gray and Gajeel felt shivers running down the length of their spine. Clearly, having witches around was eerie and it gave them the heebie-jeebies.

"We should leave right now." Milliana said.

The three warriors nodded and began to wake the camp, as silently as they could, wondering what on earth was meant by the 'smell of death'.

Everyone felt uneasy about the sudden departure. But none complained, not even the little Asuka. They all knew that the moment, they fled out of the castle; their life would be like this –always running away until they were strong enough to fight back.

Gray and Gajeel kept what the witches said earlier as a secret. Even the loudmouth Natsu did. They didn't want to make them more uneasy. Everyone was scared as it is right now. They didn't want to add.

The group walked in silence. It was morning already and their stomachs were already demanding to be fed but none of them could open their mouths to say so with a dark aura surrounding them. All they could think about was the uncomfortable feeling in their guts.

Suddenly, Erza stopped, forcing the rest of them to a halt.

"She's here."

It still amazed Minerva and Milliana how keen Erza's senses as a witch were within only a few days of training. It took them a good minute to notice the presence of a dark witch. And the only dark witch alive and remaining was Akira. The silence that hung around them was thick enough to be cut their blades. It was so quiet. Not even a single leaf moved. There was no sound of wind, no sound of birds.

Only silence.

Erza jerked her head to a side and tilted her head to look up. She could see her now. There was an abandoned building far away and she could barely see it through the gap between a tree and a huge mountain of rocks. She was on the roof, bow intact, and arrow ready to shoot. It looked like a regular bow but there was something about the arrow that made her alert and ready to dodge as it came flying. She couldn't see her face from the distance but after firing the arrow, she disappeared into something that looked like black flames.

She narrowed her eyes. The arrow wasn't coming towards her. it came towards the person standing next to her. And it was Jellal.

Without thinking, she jumped in front of him.

It was a stupid move.

She should've known it would pass right through her. The arrow pierced right into Jellal's right thigh.

XXXX

She ran through the forest all night to hunt down the witch and it was around dawn she was able to sniff her scent, along with people whom she never want to see again. Akira knew she was late when she smelt the royals. She knew the witch had already met them. Since it was all silent, she could only guess that they were in good terms and there was no way the royals wasn't going to ask her for help in defeating her and King Ivan. She couldn't have that. It had been too long since she had some fun with someone of the same level as her. It would be all the more fun if she was stronger. She could go all out.

But every thought of having a proper and fair fight between fellow witches dissolved away when she felt them moving. The intent to kill took over her dark heart.

She followed them from a distance. The dark witch then saw a large abandoned building that looked like it once housed a noble. The place was burnt down but some of the sturdy rocks still remained. She put pressure on none foot and gave herself a boost to jump to the top. Like she had thought, she was able to get the perfect view of the party. She summoned a bow and an arrow that she specifically made and pointed the tip towards them.

Akira concentrated on their energy until she found the one that was the witch. There were two more that confused her but this one she had the arrow pointed was definitely a witch. Akira couldn't help but think how her magical power was so similar to Akasha. But that was just impossible.

She pulled the arrow back, ready to shoot it to the person's back when she suddenly turned around, her face clear to her. Her whole body shook like she got hit by a thunderbolt and she let go of the arrow, unable to control her movements, missing her target.

She quickly teleported to a safe distance away.

_It was Akasha-san…_ _that was definitely her face._

XXXX

Jellal grunted as he fell on the ground, clutching his leg. It hurt like hell and he had no idea where it came from but he saw Erza step in front of him and how it passed through her and into his leg. He was grateful in a way that she was in a spirit form. It would have been her in his position otherwise. And he cannot lose her for a second time. He watched Erza as she bent down to examine the arrow.

"Pull it out." He grunted, his breaths getting labored. Jellal didn't know why a simple arrow was draining him so much. He had received injuries far more dangerous than this and he was still able to fight like a he had never been injured.

"I can't" Erza replied. "I can feel Akira's magic from this." her chocolate eyes never left the arrow.

Jellal knew she was blaming herself for what happened to him. He knew she was thinking about how useless she was, unable to help her husband. Jellal wanted to say that it wasn't her fault but his vision was getting blurry and the surroundings began to turn. He tried his best to remain conscious thought.

"It's an arrow meant to kill a witch." Milliana said.

"So, it won't have any effect on normal humans?" Lucy asked, her fists clenched at her sides. She was determined to stay strong.

"No," Minerva turned to look at her. "It will intensify. For a normal witch, this would kill instantly. But for a human, it'd kill him slowly and as painfully as possible."

* * *

**A/N: So, I'm BACK! ^^ you guys are angry that I was gone for too long, right? Well, gomen about that. I was caught up in my bleach stories and my other FT story. So, I thought I'd take a break from this story and continue them for a while and come back to write Senshi no seishin. **

**Thank you all for the reviews, favorites and follows and thank you for staying patiently. I'm really sorry about that but I lost my touch and didn't want to give you guys a crappy chapter where nothing makes sense. I hope this was ok. **

**Forgive me for any mistakes ok?**

**Ja! ^^ night night!**


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